UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
AT    LOS  ANGELES 


THE    WORKS 


JAMES    HALL 


LEGENDS   OF  THE  WEST, 


* 

AUTHOR'S    REVISED    EDITION. 


Q  *  1     9 


orfe: 


^ 

G.    P.    PUTNAM   &    CO.,    10    PARK    PLACE. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress  in  the  year  1863, 

BY  G.  P.  PUTNAM  &  Co.,  « 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  SUtes  for  the  Southern  Dilti 


•   . 


•m~* 


PS 


SJ   *  f        ' .  *&.. 

;  •  •'*« 

PREFACE  TO  THE  FIRST   EDITION, 


rilHE  sole  intention  of  the  tales  comprised  in  the  fol- 
*  lowing  pages  is  to  convey  accurate  descriptions  of 
the  scenery  anjjopulation^of ^the^ountry  in  -which^the 
autlior_resides.  The  only  merit  he  claims  for  them  is 
fidelity.  It  will  be  for  others  to  decide  whether  this 
claim  is  well  supported. 

The   legends    now  presented  to    tfljf  public   are* 
'entirely  fictitious |_butj:hey are  founded  upon  incidents 
~which  have  been  witnessed  bv   tin-  author  during  a 
long  residencejin  the  Western  fttates.or  upon  traditional 
preserved  by  the  people,  and  have  received  but  little 
artificial    embellishment.       They    are    given    to    the 
American  reader  with   great   diffidence,  and  with  a 
disposition  to  submit  cheerfully  to  any  verdict  which 
public  opinion  may  award. 


298678 


" 


"f    • 


PREFACE  TO  THIS  EDITION. 


AS  the  Tales  in  this  volume  are  descriptive  of  scenery  and 
manners  in  the  Western  country,  during  the  period  of  its 
early  settlement,  it  may  not  be  uninteresting  to  the  reader  to 
know  what  have  been  the  author's  opportunities  for  personal 
observation  in  reference  to  the  subjects.  The  descriptions 
arc  obviously  sin-h  ;is  could  m>l  have  been  gathered  from 
:  they  arc  valuable  only  in  proportion,  $0.  their  fidelity; 
and  they  are  accurate,  jnst  so  far  as  the  writer  has  been  able 
to  pourtray  the  scenes  which  have  passed  before  him,  to  re- 
peat  the  traditions  Jie  has_heard,  and  to  convey  the  vivid 
impressions  made  upon  his  mind  by  a  long  and  familiar  inter- 
course with  a  very  peculiar  people. 

More  than  thirty  years  ago  he  became  a  resident  of  Illi- 
nois, just  then  admitted  into  the  Union  as  a  state,  containing 
but  sixty  thousand  inhabitants.  The  settlements  were  widely 
scattered  through  a  vast  wilderness,  lying  chiefly  along  the 
borders  of  the  Mississippi,  the  Ohio,  and  the  Wabash.  The 
population  was  confined  to  the  southern  part  of  the  State; 
the  whole  northern  portion,  comprising'  about  two-thirds  of 
^fre- entire  area  of  the  territory,  being  an  unbroken  wilder- 
ness, inhabited  only  by  a  few  tribes  of  Indians.^  Remnants 


viii  PREFACE. 

of  the  Kickapoos  and  Pottowattamies  lingered  about  the 
sources  of  the  Wabash  and  the  branches  of  the  Illinois;  the 
Wiunebagoes  roamed  over  the  wide  plains  to  the  North-west ; 
and  the  Saukies  and  Foxes  were  the  sole  possessors  of  the 
beautiful  and  romantic  grounds  about  Rock  Island.  The 
noted  Black  Hawk  and  the  princely  Keokuk  dwelt  there,  at 
their  native  village,  as  yet  undisturbed  by  white  men. 

The  settled  parts  of  the  State  were  organized  into  coun- 
ties, but  the  institutions,  the  manners  and  customs  of  the 
people,  were  those  of  the  frontier.  The  country  was  thinly 
inhabited;  between  the  settlements  were  vast  districts  of 
wilderness,  over  which  the  traveller  might  ride  whole  days 
without  meeting  with  a  human  habitation.  The  panther  and 
the  wolf  still  lurked  in  the  forests,  the  marshes  and  pools 
were  alive  with  water-fowl,  and  the  broad  plains,  covered 
with  unbroken  carpets  of  verdure  and  wild-flowers,  were  ten- 
anted by  myriads  of  prairie  fowl. 

The  inhabitants  came  from  Kentucky,  Tennessee,  and 
North  Carolina,  and  were  still  living  in  the  rude  log-cabins  in 
which  they  had  first  found  shelter.  They  were  the  pioneers, 
.and  the  immediate  offspring  of  the  pioneers,  who  had  crossed 
the  mountains,  and  fighting  their  way  through  an  incredible 
series  of  hardships'  privations,  and  dangers,  had  subdued  the 
beautiful  valley  of  the  Ohio  to  the  dominion  of  the  white 
man.  Among  the  older  men  were  some  who  had  slept  by 
the  camp-fire  of  Daniel  Boone,  and  had  followed  the  daring 
footsteps  of  Clarke,  Shelby,  and  Logan,  in  long  marches  and 
hard-fought  battles.  The  greater  number  were  the  offspring 
of  the  pioneers,  accustomed  in  childhood  to  the  alarms  and 
vicissitudes  of  border  warfare,  reared  in  the  log-hut,  familiar 
only  with  sylvan  occupations  and  sports,  and  whose  eyes  were 
just  opened  to  the  dawn  of  civilization.  TJiey-JEej£_allJa.rm- 
ers,  but  their  character  was  rather  pastoral  than  agricultural; 


PREFACE.  ix 

commerce  had  scarcely  reached  them — there  was  no  market 
for  the" products  of  the  soil;  they  raised  a  little  grain  and 
vegetables  for  food,  but  depended  chiefly  on  herds  of  cattle 

"and  hogs  that  roamed  at  large  in  the  common  pasturage 
afforded  by  the  boundless  wilderness.  They  were  all  hunt- 

_ersLexpert  in  the  ns<»  of  the,  rifle,  skillft^  in  woodcraft,  and 
familiar  with  the  haunts  and  habits  of  every  wild  creature, 
from  the  bear  and  the  wrolf  down  to  the  tiny  honey-bee.  The 
record  of  their  accomplishments  may  be  briefly  made  up:  they 
were  daring  and  skilful  riders,  loved  horses,  and  had  a  gen- 
tlemanly propensity  for  racing  and  horse-swapping;  such  of 
them  as  sought  office  developed  an  innate  aptitude  for  stump- 
oratory,  an  art  which  was  greatly  admired  and  cultivated; 
and  at  their  public  assemblages,  at  courts,  elections,  vendues, 
and  the  like  occasions,  they  betted  freely,  drank  hard,  and 
uttered  compound  oaths,  with  extraordinary  copiousness  of 
language  and  vehemence  of  elocution.  Ordinarily  they  were 
a  frugal  and  abstemious  people,  living  quiet,  unambitious 
lives,  varied  chiefly  by  the  vicissitudes  of  the  seasons,  and 
occasionally  diversified  by  the  episode  of  a  spree.  Honest  / 
and  simple  were  they  in  their  ways,  brave  and  hospitable  in  ( 
their  deeds. 

Among  such  a  people  the  author  commenced  the  practice 
of  the  legal  profession,  at  an  early  age,  with  about  the  usual 
stock  of  dreamy  reminiscences  of  Coke  and  Blackstone,  Kent 
and  Chitty,  but  with  a  somewhat  richer  store  than  ordinary 
of  history,  poetry,  and  romance.  It  was  the  search  of  ad^- 
venturgj  rather  than  of  actions  at  law,  that  enticed  him  to 
tbe_wildezness.  The  legends  of  the  West,  scattered  in  frag- 
ments over  the  land,  were  more  alluring  than  imaginary  clients 
or  prospective  fees.  In  the  event,  he  became  a  laborious 
practitioner ;  while  the  constant  and  unavoidable  contact  with 
Jfre, people.  enabled"him  to  %lean  the  field^pf  tradltibnaryTore, 
without  any  interference  with  professional  duty. 


x  PREFACE.- 

The  backwoodsmen  were  not  the  only  inhabitants  of  Illi- 
nois, at  that  time.  There  were  the  French,  at  Kaskaskia, 
Cahokia,  and  Prairie  da  Rocher,  who  had  been  settled  here 
for  several  generations,  without,  losing  their  national  charac- 
teristics. They  were  a  very  primitive  people,  whose  character 
and  legends  afforded  much  curious  matter  for  reflection- 
There  was  an  English  colony  recently  settled  near  the  Wa- 
bash;  and  there  was  some  other  inconsiderable  settlements, 
which  might  form  exceptions  from  the  general  and  very  brief 
sketch  we  have  given  of  the  mass  of  the  people. 

The  lawyers  not  only  rode  large  circuits,  embracing  nine 
or  ten  counties  each,  but  those  circuits  were  so  arranged  to 
follow  each  other  in  succession,  that  the  bar  could  pass  from 
one  to  another  through  several  of  them,  and  an  industrious 
practitioner  passed  half  of  his  time  on  horseback.  The 
counties  were,  extensive,  and  the  county  seats  being  widely 
separated,  the  journeys  were  long  and  toilsome.  There  were 
no  hotels,  few  roads,  and  fewer  bridges.  The  traveller  often 
passed  from  county  to  county  by  mere  bridle-paths,  leading 
from  one  settlement  to  another,  crossed  streams  where  "  ford 
there  was  none,"  and  when  the  channels  were  filled  by  heavy 
rains,  found  both  difficulty  and  danger  in  getting  over.  Some- 
times the  close  of  the  day  found  him  far  from  the  shelter  of 
a  human  habitation,  and  then,  like  the  hunter,  he  must  light 
his  fire,  and  encamp  under  a  spreading  tree,  the  want  of  an 
inn  obliging  him  to  camp  out.  The  more  usual  resting-place 
was  at  the  log-house  of  a  farmer,  where  a  cordial  welcome, 
and  a  board  spread  bountifully  with  the  products  of  the  field 
and  the  forest,  awaited  him. 

The  seats  of  justice  were  small  villages,  mostly  mere  ham- 
lets, composed  of  a  few  log-houses,  into  which  the  judge  and 
bar  were  crowded,  with  the  grand  and  petit  jurors,  litigants, 
witnesses,  and,  in  short,  the  whole  body  of  the  county — for 


PR  E  F  A  c  E  .  xi 

in  new  counties  every  body  goes  to  court.  Here  was  no  re- 
spect to  persons;  they  ate  together,  slept  together,  congre- 
gated together  in  the  crowded  court-Tiouse,  and  assembled 
together  around  the  stump  to  hear  the  bursts  of  patriotic 
eloquence  from  the  candidates  for  office. 

Such  were  the  scenes,  andjjuch  the  population  among 
which  the  author  spent  twelve  years  in  the  exercise  of  a  pro- 
fession^which,  above  all  others,  opens  to  its  members  familiar 
views  of  the. whole  organization  of  society,  and  of  much  of 
all  that  passes  in  the  business  and  bosoms  of  men.  Travelling 
continually  on  horseback,  over  broad  and  beautiful  prairies, 
and  through  forests  shaded  and  tangled  with  all  the  luxuri- 
ance and  majesty  of  their  primitive  state — encountering  the 
hunter  in  his  solitary  ramble,  or  sitting  with  him  by  his  fire- 
side, breaking  his  bread  and  partaking  of  his  convivial  cup — 
living  with  them,  in  short,  from  day  to  day,  and  from  week 
to  week,  as  their  fellow-citizen,  their  .counsellori_and_ .their 
guest — his  opportunities  for  becoming  well  acquainted  with 
the  haunts  and  homes  of  the  backwoodsmen  were  quite  as 
favourable  as  could  be  well  imagined. 

How  well,  or  how  imperfectly,  those  opportunities  were 
improved,  is  another  question.  They  were  enjoyed  with  ex- 
quisite relish,  and  left  impressions  which  have  remained  vividly 
engraved  upon  the  memory.  The^  backwoodsman  is  asocial 
person,jwhose,  he  art  yearns  to  theJieart  of  his  fellow-creature. 
Without  wealth,  but  little  acquainted  with  traffic,  gaining  an 
abundant  subsistence  with  but  little  exertion,  and  spending 
long  intervals  in  repose  or  recreation,  he  knows  nothing  of 
the  influence  of  the  magic  term  business,  which  sways  and 
excites  the  mind  and  the  energy  of  the  great  mass  of  our 
nation.  He  is  the  only  American  who  is  never  in  a  hmry— 
neverjtpo  busy_  tp_  enjoy  the  sweets  of  sleep  and  the  refresh- 
ment of  social  intercourse.  Brave  and  hardy,  he  does  not 


xii  PREFACE. 

shrink  from  any  privation  or  danger.  For  days,  and  even 
weeks  together,  he  wiH  live  in  the  woods,  hunting  all  day, 
sleeping  on  the  ground,  eating  game  only,  and  drinking  from 
the  running  stream,  enduring  exposure  to  all  extremes  of 
weather,  and  practising  abstinence  with  the  patience  of  the 
Indian.  At  his  own  board  he  feeds  well  and  entertains 
freely,  for  although  the  fare  is  simple,  it  is  spread  out  in 
prodigal  abundance,  and  pressed  upon  the  guest  with  lavish 
hospitality.  Though  usually  taciturn  in  the  presence  of 
strangers,  he  is  communicative  to  his  friend  or  his  guest,  has 
often  strong  colloquial  powers,  with  quaint,  singular,  figura- 
tive, and  even  eloquent  forms  of  expression.  His  language, 
which  is  commonly  brief,  sententious,  and  abrupt,  becomes, 
when  excited  by  the  interest  of  the  subject  or  by  passion, 
highly  expletive,  and  redundant  with  exaggerated  forms  and 
figures  of  comparison.  When  he  swears — and  he  is  probably 
not  more  given  to  this  exceedingly  vulgar  vice  than  other 
men — but  when  he  does  swear  in  earnest,  his  philology  be- 
comes concentrated,  and  explodes  with  an  appalling  energy, 
which  would  have  astonished  even  the  celebrated  army  in 
Flanders. 

In  the  conversations  of  this  people  there  is  much  to  inter- 
est and  entertain  the  stranger.  To  wile  away  the  tedium  of 
a  dull  day's  ride,  or  a  long  winter  evening,  they  recite  their 
adventures,  or  communicate  their  observations  on  subjects 
familiar  to  them,  but  strange  and  curious  to  others.  Scraps 
of  history,  reminiscences  of  noted  men,  incidents  of  the 
chase  and  of  border  violence,  the  deeds  of  their  fathers  in 
battle,  the  traditions  of  the  wilderness  and  the  lone  path, 
form  the  staple  of  these  discussions;  and  it  was  from  such 
sources  that  the  writer  derived  the  lore  which  he  has  pre- 
sented to  the  public  in  the  several  volumes  he  has  published. 

Since  these  Legends  were  written,  great  changes  have 


PREFACE.  xiii 

*'•    s^ 

taken  place  in  the  West.  The  pioneers  and  Indian-fighters 
have  passed  awayv  *  TbfiiiLgbildren  have  been  scattered  and 
driven  off  by  an  overwhelming  deluge  of  immigration.  In 
Kentucky  and  Tennessee,  where  there  is  a  homogeneous 
population,  protected  by  certain  institutions,  the  Western 
character  remains  unchanged,  except  so  far  as  it  has  been 
modified  by  the  natural,  though  rapid,  increase  of  population 
and  wealth,  of  comfort  and  luxury — by  the  change  from 
border  states  to  peaceful  and  flourishing  civil  communities, 
surrounded  by  sister  states,  equally  flourishing  and  peaceful. 
BuJLjthe  genuine  backwoodsman  has  vanished  from_the  valley 
of  tlu>  Ohio;  the  crack  of  his  rifle  and  the  baying  of  his  dog 
are  heard  no  more;  his  cabin  must  be  sought  on  the  great 
plains  far  to  the  west.  The  river  boatmen,  of  whom  Mike 
Fink  was  the  representative,  with  their  fleets  of  keel-boats 
and  barges,  no  longer  float  on  the  bosom  of  "  the  beautiful 
river;"  the  boat-song  wrhich  broke  the  sweet  silence  of  the 
wilderness  at  sunrise,  and  the  blast  of  the  horn  which  came 
winding  on  the  evening  breeze,  as  the  boat  glided  into  sight 
from  behind  the  island  of  willows,  are  heard  no  more.  The 
log-cabin  has  ceased  to  be  the  only  structure,  and  is  fast  dis- 
appearing from  the  shore;  the  gracefully  rounded  hills  are 
shorn  of  their  forests;  and  now  the  farm-house  and  the  cot- 
tage-ornee,  the  meadow,  the  orchard,  and  the  vineyard,  crown 
the  river  hills,  while  towns,  villages,  and  steamboats  give 
evidence  that  art  and  commerce  have  taken  possession  of  the 
land.  Troops  of  laborious  Germans  and  light-hearted  Irish 
are  scattered  broadcast  over  the  land;  and  the  universal 
Yankee  nation  is  here,  teaching  school  and  driving  bargains, 
making  railroads,  running  steamboats,  and  going  ahead  gener- 
ally in  »>v<>ry  path  \vlu>re  industry  and  perseverance  may  lind 
emolument,  however  novel  the  _ enterprise  or  ^difficult  the 
achievement.  That  peculiar  phraseology  which  marked  the 
conversation  of  the  Western  people  thirty  years  ago,  is  sel- 
dom heard.  For  some  of  i^the  schoolmaster  has  substituted 


xiv  PEEFACE. 

a  purer,  though  not  a  more  significant  language;  while  the 
mongrel  vulgarisms  of  various  tongues  and  people  have  flowed 
in  and  corrupted  the  whole  mass.  The  tourists  who  have 
pretended  to  describe  the  colloquial  peculiaries  of  the  West, 
have  in  some  instances  indulged  freely  their  own  inventive 
powers,  and  in  others  have  been  misled  into  the  grossest  ab- 
surdities, so  that,  to  use  the  figure  of  an  old  writer,  one  would 
suppose  they  had.  been  at  a  feast  of  languages,  and  carried 
away  the  scraps. 


PAET    FIBST 


* 


PREFACE  TO  HARPE'S  HEAD. 


rpHE  reader  of  the  following  pages,  should  they  be 
-*-  so  fortunate  as  to  find  any,  will  naturally  wish  to 
know  whether  any  of  the  incidents  introduced  are 
founded  upon  fact,  or  whether  the  whole  narrative  is  a 
fabrication  of  the  author's  own  brain.  Perhaps  it 
would  be  good  policy  to  evade  this  question,  leaving 
him  to  exercise  his  own  judgment  upon  the  probability 
of  the  events  and  the  reality  of  the  characters,  and  by 
thus  awakening  curiosity,  excite  more  interest  than 
our  unadorned  tale  will  be  likely  to  produce  by  its 
own  merits.  But  holding,  as  we  do,  that  in  all  cases 
honesty  is  the  best  policy,  we  have  determined  to 
acknowledge  candidly  our  obligations  to  history,  and  . 
to  avow,  in  the  face  of  the  world,  our  paternal  relation 
to  so  much  of  the  work  as  is  the  offspring  of  invention. 
Two  of  the  characters  introduced  are  historical. 
Their  deeds  are  still  freshly  remembered  by  many 
of  the  early  settlers  of  Kentucky,  and  their  names  will 
be  instantly  recognised  by  all  who  are  conversant  with 
the  traditions  of  that  State.  The  real  incidents  of  the 
lives  of  those  persons  have  been  very  sparingly  alluded 


xvi  PREFACE   TO   HARPE'S   HEAD. 

to,  as  most  of  them  were  of  a  character  too  atrocious 
for  recital  in  a  work  of  this  description,  and  because 
they  could  not  be  used  without  the  introduction  of 
other  names,  which  the  writer  does  not  consider  himself 
at  liberty  to  place  before  the  public  in  this  manner. 
The  individuals  alluded  to  have  therefore  been  merely 
introduced  into  a  tale  wholly  fictitious,  placed  in 
situations  similar  to  those  in  which,  they  really  appeared, 
and  made  to  act  in  conformity  with  their  well-known 
characters. 

It  has  been  the  intention  of  the  writer  in  this, 
•as  .in  the  other  fictions  published  under  his  name,  to 
draw  from  nature.  He  has_invented  but  little ;  but 
professes  simply  to  connect  together  the  tradition s~of  a 
region '  in  which  he  has  long  resided^  and  to  the 
population  of  which  he  is  attached,  as  well  by  a  sincere 
admiration  for  them  and  their  institutions,  as  by  many 
endearing  ties. 


HARPE'S    HEAD, 


CHAPTER    I. 

AT  the  close  of  a  pleasant  day,  in  the  spring  of  the  year 
17 — ,  a  solitary  horseman  might  have  been  seen  slowly 
winding  his  way  along  a  narrow  road,  in  that  part  of  Virginia 
which  is  now  called  the  Valley.  It  was  nearly  forty  years 
ago,  and  the  district  lying  between  the  Blue  Ridge  and  the 
Allegheny  mountains  was  but  thinly  populated,  while  the 
country  lying  to  the  west,  embracing  an  immense  Alpine  re- 
gion, was  a  savage  wilderness,  which  extended  to  the  new 
and  distant  settlements  of  Kentucky.  Our  traveller's  route 
,  led  along  the  foot  of  the  mountains,  sometimes  crossing  the 
spurs,  or  lateral  ridges,  which  push  out  their  huge  promon- 
tories .from  the  great  chain,  and  at  others  winding  through 
deep  ravines,  or  skirting  along  broad  valleys.  The  Ancient 
Dominion  was  never  celebrated  for'  the  goodness  of  its  high- 
wavs,  and  the  one  he  was  now  endeavouring  to  unravel  was 
among  the  worst,  being  a  mere  path  worn  by  the  feet  of 
horses,  and  marked  by  faint  traces  of  wheels,  which  showed 
that  the  experiment  of  driving  a  carriage  over  its  uneven  sur- 
face had  been  successfully  tried,  but  not  generally  practised. 


18  LEGENDS    OF    THK    WEST. 

The  country  was  fertile,  though  wild  and  broken.  The  season 
was  that  in  which  the  foliage  is  most  luxuriant  and  splendid 
to  the  eye,  the  leaves  being  fully  expanded,  while  the  rich 
blossoms  decked  the  scene  with  a  variety  of  brilliant  hues ; 
and  our  traveller,  as  he  passed  ridge  after  ridge,  paused  in 
delight  on  their  elevated  summits,  to  gaze  at  the  beautiful 
glens  that  lay  between  them,  and  the  gorgeous  vegetation 
that  climbed  even  to  the  tops  of  the  steepest  acclivities.  The 
day,  however,  which  had  been  unusually  sultry  for  the  season, 
was  drawing  to  a  close,  and  both  horse  and  rider  began  to 
feel  the  effects  of  hunger  and  fatigue  ;  the  former,  though 
strong  and  spirited,  drooped  his  head,  and  the  latter  became 
wearied  with  these  lonesome  though  picturesque  scenes. 
During  the  whole  day  he  had  not  seen  the  dwelling  of  a  hu- 
man being  ;  the  clattering  of  his  horse's  hoofs  upon  the  rock, 
the  singing  of  the  birds,  so  numerous  in  this  region,  the  roar- 
ing of  the  mountain  stream,  or  the  crash  of  timber  occasioned 
by  the  fall  of  some  great  tree,  were  the  only  sounds  that  had 
met  his  ear.  He  was  glad,  therefore,  to  find  his  path  de- 
scending, at  last,  into  a  broad  valley,  interspersed  writh  farms. 
He  seemed  to  have  surmounted  the  last  hill,  and  before  him 
was  a  rich  continuous  forest,  resembling,  as  he  overlooked  it 
from  the  high  ground,  a  solid  plane  of  verdure.  The  transition 
from  rocky  steeps  and  precipices  to  the  smooth  soil  and 
sloping  surface  of  the  valley  was  refreshing ;  and  not  less  so 
were  the  coolness  and  fragrance  of  the  air,  and  the  deep  and 
varied  hues  of  the  forest,  occasioned  by  the  rank  luxuriance 
of  its  vegetation. 

It  might  be  proper,  as  it  certainly  is  customary,  before 
proceeding  to  narrate  the  adventures  of  our  hero,  to  introduce 
him  to  the  particular  acquaintance  of  the  reader  by  a  full 
description  of  his  person,  character,  and  lineage ;  but  this 
manner  of  narration,  supported  as  it  is  by  respectable  prece- 
dent, we  must  be  permitted  to  decline.  As  we  have  no 
recor-d  before  us  showing  that  the  gentleman  in  question  ever 


PI  ARPE  '  S     II  E  A  D.  10 

passed  under  a  regimental  standard,  \ve  are  not  aware  that 
his  exact  height  could  now  be  ascertained ;  and  as  he  was 
neither  a  deserter  from  the  service  of  his  country,  nor  a  fugi- 
tive from  the  protection  of  his  guardian,  we  cannot  think  it 
necessary  to  set  forth  the  colour  of  his  hair  and  eyes,  or  to  de- 
scribe what  clothes  "  he  had  on  when  he  went  away."  To 
enlist  the  sympathies  of  our  fair  readers,  whose  approbation 
we.  would  fain  propitiate,  it  is  enough  to  say  that  he  was  a 
young  and  handsome  bachelor,  leaving  each  of  them  to  fancy 
him  the  exact  image  of  her  favourite  admirer;  but  as  we  do 
not  admire  the  practice  of  peeping  into  gentlemen's  hearts  or 
pocket-books  without  any  other  warrant  than  the  bare  license 
of  authorship,  we  cannot  tell  what  precious  billet-doux  may 
have  filled  tho  one,  or  what  treasured  image  might  have 
occupied  the  other.  These  are  questions  which  may  be" 
incidentally  touched  hereafter ;  and  the  curious  reader  will 
find  ample  materials  in  the  following  pages,  for  the  gratifica- 
tion of  a  laudable  thirst  for  knowledge  on  these  interesting 
points. 

The  sun  was  about  to  set,  and  our  traveller,  having  com- 
pletely left  all  the  mountain  passes  behind  him,  could  have 
enjoyed  the  serenity  of  the  calm  hour  and  the  bland  landscape, 
had  not  other  thoughts  harassed  him.  He  needed  rest  and 
refreshment,  and  knew  not  where  to  find  the  one  or  the  other. 
While  considering  this  matter,  he  reached  a  spot  where  two 
roads  crossed,  at  the  same  instant  when  two  other  persons, 
advancing  from  a  different  direction,  arrived  at  the  same 
point.  They  were  an  elderly  gentleman  and  a  young  lady, 
both  of  prepossessing  appearance.  The  former  was  a  portly 
man,  hale  and  ruddy,  with  a  gay  eye  and  a  profusion  of  gray 
locks,  as  if  the  frost  of  age  had  prematurely  touched  his  head 
without  penetrating  so  deep  as  to  chill  the  fountains  of  life. 
His  dress  was  that  of  a  country  gentleman ;  it  was  not  ex- 
pensive, nor  yet  well  assorted,  but  rather  evinced  the  care- 
lessness of  one  who,  living  secluded  from  the  fashionable 


20  LEGENDS    OF    THE    WEST. 

world,  felt  independent  of  its  forms,  or  who  adopted  with 
reluctance  the  changes  which  seemed  every  year  to  depart 
farther  and  further  from  certain  standards  of  gracefulness  to 
which  he  had  been  accustomed  in  his  youth,  as  well  as  from 
the  peculiar*  notions  of  comfort  that  fasten  upon  the  mind 
with  the  approaches  of  old  age.  He  was  mounted  upon  a 
fine  high-bred  horse,  rather  oddly  caparisoned ;  for  the 
bridle,  though  silver-mounted,  was  broken  in  several  places, 
and  the  fractures  had  been  remedied,  at -one  part  by  a  hard 
knot,  at  another  by  a  coarse  seam,  and  at  a  third  by  a  thong, 
of  buckskin  ;  while  a  Spanish  saddle,  which  might  once  have 
done  lionour  to  the 'best  cavalier-  at  a  bull-fight,  having  lost  the 
stirrup-leather  on  the  near  side,  was  supplied  with  an  accom- 
modation-ladder of  rope,  and  the  girth  was  patched  with 
leather  and  linsey,  until  the  original  material  was  hardly  dis- 
coverable. The  worthy  gentleman  w.ore  one  spur,  either 
because  he  was  too  indolent  to  put  on  the  other,  or  from  a 
conviction,  founded  on  a  well-established  philosophical  prin- 
ciple, that  the  effect  produced  on  one  side  of  his  animal  must 
be  followed  by  a  corresponding  result  on  the  other,  and  that 
consequently  one  armed  heel  is  as  effective  as  a  pair.  Indeed, 
that  gentlemanly  weapon  seemed  to  be  worn  more  from  habit 
than  necessity,  for  the  free-spirited  steed  needed  no  prompter ; 
and  the  rider,  who  sat  with  the  ease  and  grace  of  an  experi- 
enced horseman,  would  have  esteemed  it  a  breach  of  the 
dignity  becoming  his  age  and  station  to  have  proceeded  at 
any  pace  faster  than  a  walk.  He  was  evidently  a  wealthy 
planter,  accustomed  to  good  living  and  good  society,  who  had 
arrived  at  a  standing  in  life  which  placed  him  above  any 
merely  outward  forms  that  interfered  with  his  comfort,  and 
who  felt  privileged  to  think,  as  he  pleased  and  do  as  he  liked  ; 
while  the  frankness  and  benevolence  of  his  countenance  at 
once  assured  the  stranger  that  his  heart  was"  alive  to  the  best 
feelings  of  kindness  and  hospitality.  His  companion  was  a 
lovely  girl  of  eighteen,  richly  and  tastefully  habited.  Care- 


HARPE'S   HEAD.  21 

less  as  were  the  apparel  and  furniture  of  the  elder  rider,  that 
of  the  lady  was  studiously  neat  and  appropriate.  Her 
palfrey  had  the  fine  limbs,  the  delicate  form,  and  the  bright 
eye  of  the  deer,  with  a  gentleness  that  seemed  to  savour 
more  of  reason  than  of  instinct.  His  hair  was  smooth  and 
glossy  as  silk,  his  harness  elegantly  and  neatly  fitted ;  and 
as'  the  rider  sat  gracefully  erect  in  her  saddle,  the  proud 
animal  arched  his  neck  as  if  conscious  of  the  beauty  of  his 
burden. 

As  the  parties  met  at  the  junction  of  the  roads,  each  of  the 
gentlemen  reined  up  his  horse  to  allow  the  other  to  pass ; 
the  elder  bowed  and  touched'  his  hat,  and  the  other  returned 
the  salutation  with  equal  courtesy.  There  was  a  momentary 
embarrassment,  as  neither  rider  seemed  disposed  to  take  pre- 
cedence of  the  other  ;  which  was  relieved  by  the  young  lady, 
who,  slackening  her  rein  as  she  touched  the  neck  of  her  steed 
with  a  hazel  switch,  rode  forward,  leaving  the  gentlemen  to 
settle  the  point  of  etiquette  between  them,  which  they  did  by 
silently  falling  in  abreast,  the  road  being  just  wide  enough  to 
admit  the  passage  of  two  riders  in  that  manner. 

In  our  country  there  is  none  of  that  churlish  policy  or  that 
repulsive  pride  which  in  other  regions  forbids  strangers  who 
thus  meet  from  accosting  each  other ;  on  the  contrary,  our 
hearty  old  Virginian,  on  meeting  a  young,  well-mounted, 
handsome  stranger,  with  the  appearance  and  manners  of  a 
gentleman,  felt  bound  to  do  the  honours  of  the  country.  He 
accordingly  opened  a  conversation,  and  was  so  well  pleased 
with  the  stranger's  frankness  and  intelligence,  that  he  deter- 
mined to  take  him  home,  and  entertain  him,  at  least  for  the 
night,  and  perhaps  for  a  week  or  two ;  and  the  worthy  old 
man  felt  no  small  inward  gratification  in  the  idea,  that  while 
he  was  discharging  his  duty  as  a  true  son  of  the  Ancient  Do- 
minion, he  should  secure  a  companion,  and  enlarge  for  a  time 
his  own  little  circle  of  enjoyments;  But  the  stranger  antici- 
pated his  invitation  by  observing, 


22  LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 

"  I  have  business  with  Major  Hey  ward,  who  resides  some- 
where in  this  neighbourhood,  and  am  glad  that  I  have  fallen 
in  with  you.  sir,  as  you  can  probably  direct  me  to  a  tavern 
near  his  house,  where  I  may  lodge  for  the  night." 

"  That  I  cannot ;  but  I  will  with  great  pleasure  show  you 
to  the  house  itself,"  replied  the  other,  who  was  the  identical 
Major  Hey  ward  ;  "lam  going  directly  there,  and  will  con- 
duct you  to  the  very  door." 

The  stranger  civilly  declined  this  offer,  under  the  plea  that 
he  was  totally  unacquainted  with  the  gentleman  alluded  to, 
and  that  his  visit  was  solely  on  business.  He  wished,  there- 
fore, to  lodge  for  the  night  at  a  public  house,  and  to  despatch 
his  business  in  the  morning  as  early  as  might  be. 

"I  suspect,"  replied  his  companion,  "  that  you  will  not  do 
the  one  nor  the  other.  Public  house  there  is  none  ;  you  are 
now  in  Virginia,  sir,  where  hospitality  is  not  an  article  of 
trade  ;  therefore  you  must'of  necessity  lodge  with  a  private 
gentleman.  And  you  are  under  a  mistake,  if  you  think  to 
despatch  your  business  to-morrow,  or  the  next  day,  or  under 
a  week  at  least." 

"  Why  so  1" 

"  Simply  because,  in  this  country,  we  do  not  turn  people 
out  of  our  houses,  nor  treat  a  guest^as  if  he  were  a  sheriff's 
officer.  There  is  to  be  a  barbecue  to-morrow,  to  which  you 
will  be  invited ;  then  you  must  hunt  one  day,  and  fish  an- 
other, and  after  that rbut  see,  there  is  the  house." 

The  stranger  halted  :  "  I  really  cannot  intrude " 

"  Intrude,  my  dear  sir  !  Why,  young  gentleman,  you 
were  certainly  not  raised  in  Virginia,  or  you  would  have 
learned  that  one  gentleman  can  never  be  considered  as  an  in- 
truder in  the  house  of  another,  especially  one  who  brings  so 
good  a  letter  of  introduction  as  yourself." 

"  Pardon  me,  sir,  I  have  no  such  credentials." 

"  Oh  yes,  you  have— yes,  you  have,"  returned  the  planter, 
laughing  at  his  own  wit,  and  bowing  to  his  companion  ;  "  as 


HARPE'SHEAD.  23 

a  late  writer  hath  it,  a  good  appearance  is  the  best  letter  of 
introduction  ;  and  your  modesty,  young  sir,  is  an  endorse- 
ment which  gives  it  double  value.  Come  along,  I'll  be  an- 
swerable for  your  welcome." 

"But  I  am  a  total  stranger." 

"True,  and  so  you  will  remain  until  you  are  introduced  ; 
then  you  will  be  so  no  longer." 

"But  it  is  so  awkward  to  go  to  a  gentleman's  house  just 
at  nightfall,  as  if  begging  for  a  night's  lodging." 

"  The  very  best  hour  in  the  world,  for  then  you  are  sure  to 
catch  the  gentleman  at  home,  and  at  leisure  to  entertain  you. 
Virginia,  my  dear,"  continued  he,  calling  to  the  young  lady, 
who  rode  a  few  paces  before  them,  "  will  you  not  join  me  in 
a  guarantee  that  this,  young  gentleman  shall  be  welcome  at 
Walnut  Hill  ]" 

'•  With  great  pleasure,  if  it  were  necessary,"  replied  the 
ladv,  "  but  your  introduction,  my  dear  uncle,  will  be  all- 
sufficient." 

The  stranger,  who  began  to  suspect  the  truth,  and  saw  that 
he  could  not,  without  rudeness,  decline  the  proffered  kindness 
of  his  hospitable  guide,  now  submitted,  and  the  party  entered 
a  long  lane  which  led  to  the  mansion.  On  either  side  wrere 
large  fields  of  corn  and  tobacco,  lately  planted,  and  exhibiting 
the  distinctive  characteristics  of  Virginia  agriculture.  The 
scale  was  extensive,  but  the  manner  of  cultivation  rude.  The 
spacious  domain,  spreading  for  more  than  a  mile  on  either 
hand,  was  covered  with  flourishing  crops,  which  attested  the 
fertility  of  the  soil ;  and  the  immense  worm-fences  surrounding 
the  enclosures,  and  dividing  them  into  accurate  parallelograms, 
were  as  substantial  as  they  were  unsightly.  The  corners  and 
skirts  of  the  fields,  and  every  vacant  spot,  were  grown  up 
with  weeds  and  briers.  Stumps  of  trees  blackened  with  fire, 
and  immense  tall  trunks,  from  which  the  bark  and  smaller 
limbs  had  fallen,  showed  that  not  many  years  had  elapsed 
since  the  ground  had  been  cleared;  but  those  sylvan  remains 


24  .LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 

became  fewer  and  more  decayed  towards  the  mansion  of  the 
owner,  which  was  in  the  centre  of  the  opening,  as  if  the  occu- 
pant, after  fixing  his  dwelling,  had  been  gradually  clearing 
away  the  forest  from  around  it  in  every  direction.  An  apple 
orchard  had  been  planted  so  recently  as  to  be  now  ready  for 
bearing  its  first  crop,  and  peach-trees  were  seen  scattered  in 
every  direction  ;  wherever  a  kernel  had  fallen  by  accident, 
and  the  young  shoot  had  escaped  the  plough,  or  outlived  the 
nipping  of  the  cattle,  was  a  flourishing  tree,  promising  a  lux- 
uriant harvest  of  this  delightful  fruit. 

The  mansion  stood  on  a  rising  ground,  overlooking  the 
whole  plantation,  and  was  composed  of  a  cluster  of  buildings 
rather  inartificially  connected.  A  stone  house  with  two  rooms 
had- been  first  erected;  then  a  framed  building  was  added; 
and  year  after  year,  as  the  family  increased  in  wealth  or 
numbers,  subsequent  -additions  had  been  made,  consisting  of 
single  apartments,  all  on '  the  ground-floor,  except  the  original 
building,  which  contained  an  upper  story — the  whole  connected 
by  piazzas,  and  being;  in  fact,  a  number  of  separate,  though 
contiguous  houses,  inconveniently  adapted  for  the  residence 
of  a  single  family.  The  offices  were  scattered  about  in  the 
rear  of  the  main  edifice — the  kitchen,  the  ice-house,  the  smoke- 
house, being  each  a  separate  building.  Still  further  back  were 
the  negro-cabins,  and  beyond  them  the  stables ;  so  that,  alto- 
gether, the  place  had  more  the  appearance  of  a  village  than 
of  the  residence  of  a  single  family.  The  aspect  of  the  whole,, 
was  pleasing  and  respectable.  Had  it  been  surrounded  by  n  >  * 
wall  and  a  ditch,  it  would  have  borne  no  small  resernbJance 
to  some  of  the  earliest  ofthose  old  castles  in  which  the  barons 
resided  with  their  followers  in  patriarchal  simplicity.  The 
out-buildings  were  so  disposed  as  not  to  intercept  the  view 
from  the  front  of  the  mansion ;  and  the  latter,  being  painted 
white,  looked  well  in  spite  of  its  structure.  A  beautiful 
lawn  surrounded  it,  set  with  fine  forest  trees,  the  venerable 
and  gigantic  aboriginals  of. the  soil  ;  and  on  one  side  was  a 


HARPE'S   HEAD.  25 

garden,  laid  out  with  taste,  and  highly  embellished  with 
flowers  and  ornamental  plants.  * 

As  soon  as  the  party  Centered  the  lane,  droves  of  young 
negroes  ran  out  to  gaze  at  them,  hiding  behind  the  trees  and 
fences,  or  peeping  through  the  bushes ;  and  the  worthy  host 
began  to  exercise  his  lungs,  in  speaking  alternately  to  the 
negro  children,  to  the  blacks  who  were  returning  in  troops 
from  labour,  and  to  his  guest. 

"  Get  away,  you  young  rogues !  what  are  you  peeping  at  ? 
There's  fine  corn,  sir.  Here,  you  Cato,  tell  Caesar  to  come 
to  me. — That  corn  has  just  been  planted  six  weeks. — Pompey, 
come  and  take  these  horses. — There's  the  best  tobacco  in  this 
county. — Luke,  where's  Peter  and  John  ?  Primus,  tell  Adam 
to  get  some  fresh  water,  and  you  go,  Finis,  and  help  him. 
Virgil,  you  dog,  come  out  of  that  peach-tree.  I'll  take  you 
and  Milton,  and  knock  your  heads  together. — These  plagues 
destroy  all  my  fruit,  sir,  before  it  is  ripe. — Open  that  gate, 
Moses — help  him,  Aaron.  Come  here,  Cupid,  and  hold  your 
young  mistress'  horse.  Run,  some  of  you,  and.  tell  Venus 
to  get  supper. — Come,  sir,  alight ;  you  are  welcome  to  my 
house." 

The  stranger,  who  throughout  this  singular  colloquy  had 
found  no  opportunity  to  address  his  host,  had  placed  himself 
beside  the  young  lady,  to  whom  he  addressed  his  conversation 
during  the  few  minutes  that  preceded  their  arrival  at  the 
house,  where  he  assisted  her  to  dismount;  and  the  whole 
party  were  soon  seated  in  one  of  Major  Heyward's  spacious 
piazzas. 

Walnut  Hill  was  the  seat  of  plenty  and  hospitality ;  and 
in  a  few  minutes  servants  were  despatched  in  different  di- 
rections in  pursuit  of  refreshments.  The  worthy  proprietor 
himself,  in  respect  of  his  age,  and  certain  habits  of  reverence 
to  which  his  whole  household  had  been  long  accustomed,  re- 
ceived the  first  attention.  His  niece  placed  his  great  arm- 
chair, a  little  negro  fetched  his  pipe,  another  brought  tobacco, 
2 


26  LEGENDS   OF   THE    WEST. 

a  third  fire,  a  fourth  a  glass  of  water,  a  fifth  slippers ;  and 
in  a  few  minutes  Ife  was  comfortably  seated,  enjoying  his 
accustomed  luxuries ;  while  his  guest  retired  to  arrange  his 
dress.  , 

On  the  return  of  the  latter,  he  found  his  host  in  the 
same  position  in  which  he  had  left  him ;  and  approaching 
him,  said, 

"  I  have  perhaps  been  to  blame  in  delaying  so  long  to  an- 
nounce my  name  and  business." 

Your  name,  my  young  friend,  I  shall  be  glad  to  hear, 
whenever  you  please ;  as  for  your  business,  we  will  talk  of 
that  when  we  get  tired  of  every  other  subject." 

"  I  am  well  aware  of  your  hospitality,  and  that  towards 
either  a  friend  or  a  stranger  it  would  be  cheerfully  exercised ; 
but  neither  of  these  characters  can  be  claimed  by  Lyttleton 
Fennimore." 

The  old  man  started  as  he  heard  this  name ;  a  cloud  passed 
over  his  features,  and  his  frame  seemed  agitated  with  painful 
recollections.  These  feelings  he  endeavoured  to  suppress,  as 
he  replied, 

"  I  had  rather  you  had  borne  another  name  ;  but  that  is  not 
your  fault." 

He  then  rose,  extended  his  hand  to  his  guest,  and  emphat- 
ically added,  "Mr.  Fennimore,  pardon  an  old  man  for  not 
being  able  to  forget  in  a  moment  that  which  has  been  a  sub- 
ject of  bitter  reflection  for  years.  The  antipathies  of  parents 
should  not  be  entailed  on  their  children.  You  are  cordially 
welcome  to  my  house — make  it  your  home,  and  consider  me 
as  your  friend." 

Tea  was  soon  announced ;  and  Major  Hey  ward,  as  he  in- 
troduced his  guest  to  his  niece,  Miss  Pendleton,  resumed  his 
usual  courtesy  of  manner,  but  his  gaiety  had  entirely  forsaken 
him,  and  immediately  after  this  meal  he  retired  to  his  apart- 
ment, leaving  the  young  couple  to  entertain  each  other.  We 
need  hardly  add,  that,  predisposed  as  the  latter  were  to  be 


HARPK'SHEAD.  27 

pleased  with  each  other,  the  evening  passed  agreeably  ;  and 
that  when  Mr.  Fennimore  retired,  he  could  not  but  acknowl- 
edge, that  whatever  might  be  the  character  of  the  uncle,  the 
niece  was  one  of  the  most  agreeable  women  that  he  had  ever 
seen. 


28  LEGENDS  OB-  THE  WEST. 


CHAPTER  II. 

ON  the  following  morning,  Fennimore  rose  early,  and  sal- 
lied forth,  but  found  that  he  had  been  preceded  by  Major 
Hey  ward,  who  was  bustling  about,  without  his  hat  or  coat,  in 
the  sharp  morning  air,  giving  orders  to  his  servants.  The 
cloud  of  the  last  evening  had  passed  from  his  brow ;  the  re- 
flections of  his  pillow  had  been  salutary  ;  and  he  now  met  his 
guest,  with  his  usual  cheerfulness  of  countenance  and  kind- 
ness of  manner.  "Mr.  Fennimore,"  said  he,  "I  did  not  re- 
ceive you,  perhaps,  as  I  ought,  and  I  ask  your  pardon.  I  must 
be  frank  with  you,  for  I  cannot  be  otherwise.  Things  have 
passed  between  our  families  which  I  have  not  been  able  to 
forget.  But  the  ways  of  Providence  are  always  wise ;  it  was 
necessary  for  my  peace  that  you  should  come  here.  I  am  too 
old  to  cherish  an  unsettled  feud.  Let  the  past  be  buried. 
We  are  friends." 

"  I  know  so  little  of  the  particulars  of  the  affair  to  which 
you  allude,"  replied  Fennimore,  "that  I  can  say  nothing, 
except  that  I  desire  to  stand  in  uo  other  relation  to  Major 
Hey  ward  than  that  of  a  friend.  I  had  not  thought  of  intro-. 
ducing  that  subject.  My  business  relates  to  a  pecuniary 
transaction — : — " 

"  Well,  we'll  talk  of  that  another  time.  Any  time  will  do 
for  business.  We  can  settle  that  in  five  minutes.  There  is 
to  be  a  barbecue  to-day,  Mr.  Fennimore ;  we  are  all  going — 
you  must  go  with  us." 


HARPE'S   HEAD.  29 

In  vain  did  Fennimore  plead  that  his  engagements  required 
his  attention  elsewhere — that  he  had  no  time  for  parties  of 
pleasure — that  he  had  no  taste  for  such  amusements,  &c. 

"  No  taste  for  a  barbecue !"  exclaimed  Major  Hey  ward. 
"  You  surprise  me,  Mr.  Fennimore  ;  no  taste  for  a  barbecue  ! 
Well,  that  shows  you  were  not  raised  in  Virginia.  Time  you 
should  see  a  little  of  the  world,  sir ;  there's  nothing  in  life 
equal  to  a  barbecue,  properly  managed — a  good  old  Virginia 
barbecue.  Sir,  I  would  not  have  you  to  miss  it  for  the  best 
horse  on  my  plantation  !" 

"Talking  of  horses,"  continued  the  cheerful  old  man,  "re- 
minds me  that  I  can  show  you  a  sight  worth  seeing ;"  and 
without  waiting  for  a  reply,  he  led  his  guest  to  "his  stables, 
where  the  grooms  were  feeding  and  rubbing  down  a  number 
of  beautiful  blooded  animals.  These  were  successively  paraded, 
and  the  proud  owner  descanted  upon  the  merits  of  each,  with 
a  volubility  that  excluded  every  other  subject,  until  break- 
fast was  announced. 

"  Has  Mr.  Fennimore  consented  to  join  our  party  to-day?" 
inquired  Miss  Pendleton,  after  they  were  seated  at  the  break- 
fast-table. 

"Certainly,  my  dear,"  replied  the  Major;  "Mr.  Fenni- 
more would  be  doing  injustice  to  us,  and  to  himself,  if  he  did 
not  improve  such  an  opportunity  of  witnessing  a  festivity  pe- 
culiar to  our  State.  I  am  sure  he  would  not  be  deprived  of 
it  upon  any  consideration." 

"  I  cannot  resist  the  temptation,"  said  Fennimore,  with  a 
bow  which  Miss  Pendleton  took  to  herself,  while  her  uncle  re- 
ceived it  as  a  tribute  to  his  favourite  amusement ;  and  after  a 
hasty  meal,  the  parties  separated  to  prepare  for  the  excur- 
sion. 

The  horses  were  soon  at  the  door,  and  the  party  proceeded, 
attended  by  several  servants,  to  the  place  of  meeting.  It  was 
a  gay  and  beautiful  morning.  They  passed  over  a  high 
mountainous  ridge,  by  a  winding  and  rugged  path,  which  at 


30  LEGENDS    OF    THE    WEST. 

some  places  seemed  impracticable  ;  but  the  horses,  accustomed 
to  these  acclivities,  stepped  cautiously  from  rock  to  rock,  or 
nimbly  leaped  the  narrow  ravines  that  crossed  the  road,  while 
the  riders  scarcely  suffered  any  inconvenience  from  the  irregu- 
larities of  the  surface.  Sometimes  the  path  led  along  the 
edge  of  a  precipice,  and  they  paused  to  look  down  upon  the 
broad-spread  valleys  that  lay  extended  in  beautiful  landscape 
before  them.  The  song  of  the  mocking-bird  arrested  their  at- 
tention, as  he  sat  among  the  branches  of  a  tall  tree,  pouring 
forth  his  miscellaneous  and  voluble  notes,  imitating  success- 
fully all  the  songsters  of  the  grove,  and  displaying  a  fulness, 
strength,  and  richness  of  voice,  which  often  astonishes  even 
those  who  are  accustomed  to  his  melody.  Upon  reaching  the 
highest  elevation  of  the  ridge,  they  wound  along  its  level  sur- 
face, by  a  path  well  beaten  and  beautifully  smooth,  but  so 
seldom  travelled  as  to  be  covered  with  a  growth  of  short 
grass.  Its  width  was  sufficient  only  to  admit  the  passage  of 
a  single  horseman,  and  its  course  so  winding  that  the  foremost 
rider  was  often  concealed  from  the  view  of  the  last  of  the 
train.  Dense  thickets  grew  on  either  hand,  and  the  branches 
of  the  trees  interlocking  above  the  riders'  heads  formed  a 
thick  canopy,  giving  to  this  romantic  path  the  appearance  of 
a  narrow,  serpentine  archway,  carved  with  art  out  of  the 
tangled  forest.  Virginia,  when  she  reached  this  elevated  plain, 
seemed  to  feel  as  if  in  fairy  land,  and,  loosening  her  rein, 
bounded  away  with  the  lightness  of  a  bird,  gracefully  bend- 
ing as  she  passed  under  the  low  boughs,  gliding  round  the 
short  angles,  and  leaping  her  beautiful  steed  over  the  logs  that 
sometimes  lay  in  the  way.  Fennimore  galloped  after,  ad- 
miring her  skill,  and  equally  elated  by  the  inspiring  scene  ; 
while  Major  Heyward,  who  thought  it  undignified  to  ride  out 
of  a  walk,  at  any  time  except  when  following  the  hounds, 
followed  at  his  leisure,  wondering  at  the  levity  of  the  young 
people,  which  made  them  forget  their  gentility  and  ride  like 
dragoons  or  hired  messengers. 


II  A  RPE'S   HEAD.  31 

Suddenly  the  path  seemed  to  end  at  the  brink  of  a  tall 
cliff,  and  far  below  them  they  beheld  the  majestic  Potomac, 
meandering  through  its  deep  valleys,  and  apparently  forcing 
its  way  among  piles  of  mountains.  The  charms  of  mountain 
scenery  were  enhanced  by  the  endless  variety  of  the  rich  and 
gorgeous,  the  placid  and  beautiful,  the  grand  and  terrific,  that 
were  here  embraced  in  one  view.  At  one  place  the  tall 
naked  rock  rose  in  perpendicular  cliffs  to  an  immense  height, 
terminating  in  bare  spiral  peaks  ;  at  another,  the  rounded  ele- 
vations were  covered  with  pines,  cedars,  and  laurel,  always 
indicating  a  sterile  soil  and  a  cold  exposure.  The  mountain- 
sides were  clothed  with  verdure,  in  all  the  intervals  between 
the  parapets  of  rock  ;  and  the  clear  streams  of  water  that  fell 
from  ledge  to  ledge,  enlivened  the  prospect.  Far  below,  the 
rich  valley  spread  out  its  broad  bosom,  studded  with  the 
noblest  trees  of  the  forest,  the  majestic  tulip-tree,  the  elegant 
locust,  the  gum,  the  sugar-maple,  the  broad  spreading  oak,  and 
the  hickory.  The  numberless  flowering  trees  were  in  jfull 
bloom,  and  their  odours  filled  the  air  with  a  rich  perfume.  The 
river,  with  its  clear  blue  waters,  was  full  of  attraction,  some- 
times dashing  round  rocky  points  of  the  mountain,  and  some- 
times flowing  calmly  through  the  valley  ;  at  one  point  placid- 
ly reposing  in  a  wide  basin,  at  another,  rushing  over  a  rocky 
ledge  whitened  with  foam. 

"  How  beautiful  !"  exclaimed  Virginia,  as  she  reined  up  her 
horse  and  gazed,  with  a  delighted  eye,  over  the  wide-spread 
landscape. 

"  How  exquisitely  beautiful !"  re-echoed  Fennimore,  as  his 
admiring  glance  rested  on  the  form  of  his  lovely  companion. 
Her  deer-like  animal,  smoking  with  heat,  and  just  sufficiently 
excited  by  exercise  to  bring  every  muscle  into  full  action,  to 
expand  his  nostrils  and  swell  his  veins — his  fine  neck  arched, 
his  head  raised,  his  delicate  ear  thrown  forward,  and  his  clear 
eye  sparkling,  stood  on  the  very  edge  of  the  cliff.  The  light 
figure  of  Virginia  was  rendered  more  graceful  by  an  elegant 


32  LEGENDS   OF   THE  WEST. 

riding-dress,  closely  fitted  to  her  person,  and  extending  below 
her  feet.  She  sat  with  the  ease  of  a  practised  rider.  But  her 
chief  attraction,  at  this  moment,  was  the  animated  expression 
of  her  features.  Her  bonnet  was  pushed  back  from  her  fine 
forehead,  her  eye  lighted  up  with  pleasure,  her  cheek  flushed 
and  dimpled,  her  lips  unclosed  ;  and  as  she  extended  her  whip 
in  the  direction  indicated  by  her  glance,  Fennimore  realized 
the  most  exquisite  dreams  that  his  fancy  had  ever  formed 
of  female  loveliness. 

She  turned  towards  her  companion,  as  his  expression  of 
admiration  met  her  ear,  blushed  deeply  when  she  discovered 
that  his  impassioned  glance  was  directed  towards  herself,  and 
then,  with  a  little  dash  of  modest  coquetry,  which  is  quite 
natural  in  a  pretty  woman  of  eighteen,  laughed,  and  resumed 
her  descriptions.  But  her  tones  softened,  and  her  conversa- 
tion, without  losing  its  sprightliness,  assumed  the  richness  and 
vividness  of  poetry,  from  an  involuntary  consciousness  that 
all  the  young  and  joyous  feelings  of  her  heart  were  responded 
in  kindred  emotions  from  that  of  her  companion. 

In  a  few  minutes  they  were  joined  by  Major  Hey  ward,  and 
the  whole  party  descended  the  mountain  by  a  precipitous 
path,  which  led  to  a  part  of  the  valley  bordering  on  the  Po- 
tomac. 

Arrived  at  the  place  of  rendezvous,  a  novel  and  enchanting 
scene  was  presented  to  the  eye  of  our  stranger.  A  level  spot 
on  the  shore  of  the  river  had  been  divested  of  all  its  bushes 
and  trees,  except  a  few  large  poplars,  which  were  left  for 
shade,  whose  huge  trunks  had  risen  to  a  majestic  height,  while 
their  spreading  branches  interlocked,  so  as  to  form  a  canopy 
impervious  to  the  sunbeams.  Having  been  the  scene  of  these 
festivities  for  many  years,  the  ground  was  trodden  hard,  and 
covered  with  a  thick  sward  of  short  grass.  On  three  sides 
the  forest  was  seen  in  its  native  wildness,  tangled  and  luxu- 
riant as  it  came  from  the  hand  of  nature  ;  on  the  other  flowed 
the  river.  At  the  back  part  of  the  area  was  a  fountain  of 


HARPE'SHEAD.  33 

limpid  water — the  Virginians  always  congregate  around  a  cool 
spring — issuing  from  the  rock,  and  filling  a  large  basin,  which 
served  as  a  wine-cooler,  and  in  which  a  few  trout,  kept  with 
great  care,  sported  their  graceful  forms. 

The  company  began  to  assemble  at  an  early  hour ;  a  gay 
and  miscellaneous  assemblage,  somewhat  aristocratic,  but  by 
no  means  exclusive.  It  was  all  of  the  class  of  freeholders,  but 
included  every  variety  of  that  class.  Some  were  members 
of  ancient  families,  well  educated,  polished,  and  wealthy,  proud 
of  their  birth  and  of  their  estates,  simple  and  hospitable, 
though  somewhat  stately,  in  their  manners.  Some  were  de- 
cayed gentry,  a  little  prouder  than  the  nature  of  the  case 
seemed  to  require,  in  consequence  of  their  poverty ;  and  others 
were  plain  farmers  and  their  families,  stout  built,  well  fed, 
well  clad, — an  intelligent  and  independent  race,  who  lived  on 
their  own  farms,  and  justly  considered  themselves  the  peers 
of  the  best  in  the  land.  In  the  whole  circle  there  was  much 
of  the  sturdiness  and  simplicity  of  an  agricultural  people,  to- 
gether with  a  degree  of  polish  not  often  found  among  mere 
farmers,  and  resulting  here  from  the  hospitable  customs  of  the 
country,  which  induced  a  continual  round  of  social  intercourse, 
and  from  the  fact  that  the  land  proprietors,  being  the  owners 
of  servants,  had  leisure  to  cultivate  their  minds,  and  visit  their 
neighbours.  Among  them  were  many  gentlemen  of  liberal  ed- 
ucation, some  professional  men  of  high  attainments,  and  men 
in  public  life,  or  of  large  fortunes,  who,  spending  a  portion  of 
every  year  in  large  cities,  had  acquired  all  the  elegance  of 
manners  and  cultivation  of  intellect  which  is  found  in  the 
best  circles.  One  peculiarity  which  usually  marks  a  fashion- 
able, or,  more  properly  speaking,  an  exclusive  society,  was 
wanting  here,  namely,  that  uniformity  in  dress,  in  manners,  in 
thought,  and  in  phraseology,  which  results  from  a  servile  obe- 
dience to  the  canons  of  fashion — that  dismal  monotony  of 
taste  which  forces  every  gentleman  to  furnish  his  house  after 
a  prescribed  model,  and  a  whole  community  to  dress  as  much 
2* 


34  L  E  G  E  N  D  S     O  F     T  II  E     W  E  S  T  . 

alike  as  a  body  of  soldiers  in  regimentals  ;  reminding  one  of 
Pope's  description  of  a  garden,  where 

"  No  pleasing  intricacies  intervene, 
No  artful  wildness  to  perplex  the  scene, 
Grove  nods  at  grove,  each  alley  has  a  brother, 
And  half  the  platform  just  reflects  the  other." 

This  neighbourhood  being  secluded,  and  distant  from  the  sea- 
board, fashions,  coming  with  a  tardy  step  and  from  different 
quarters,  were  partially  adopted,  and  never  generally  acqui- 
esced in,  nor  carried  to  excess.  Manufactures  of  every  kind 
were  at  that  time  at  a  low  ebb,  and  mechanics  were  not  to  be 
found  in  country  neighbourhoods.  The  Southern  people,  too, 
are  habitually  indolent,  and  while  they  often  exhibit  on  the 
one  hand  great  fondness  for  show,  as  often  betray  on  the  other 
the  most  absolute  carelessness  for  appearances  ;  an  apparent 
contradiction,  which  arises  from  the  fact  that  though  lavish  in 
the  expenditure  of  money,  they  will  not  endure  any  personal 
labour  or  discomfort  in  the  purchase  of  luxury.  If  a  splendid 
dress,  vehicle,  or  article  of  furniture,  can  be  readily  procured, 
it  is  eagerly  bought,  without  regard  to  the  price ;  but  if  it 
cannot  be  had,  the  nearest  substitute  is  cheerfully  adopted ; 
and  they  are  too  independent,  either  to  value  each  other  on 
such  adventitious  possessions,  or  to  mar  their  own  happiness 
by  repining  at  the  want  of  them.  From  these  various  causes 
it  arose,  that  while  one  lady  was  rolled  to  the  fete  in  an  ele- 
gant coach,  with  four  fat  horses,  and  plated  harness,  another 
of  equal  wealth  came  in  a  sorry  vehicle,  which  might  have 
been  very  superb  in  the  days  of  her  grandmother,  but  was 
now  faded  and  crazy,  drawn  by  a  pair  of  blooded  nags,  hitched 
to  it  with  tackle  marvellously  resembling  plough-gear.  An 
ancient  spinster,  whose  last  will  and  testament  was  a  matter  of 
interest  with  all  kinsfolk,  and  of  curiosity  with  the  rest  of  her 
acquaintance,  rode  in  a  sorry  affair,  which  had  once  been  a 
creditable  chaise,  but  was  now  transformed  by  repeated  mend- 
ings into  something  resembling  a  hangman's  cart ;  having  un- 


HARPE'S  HEAD.  35 

dergone  the  same  mutilations  to  which  our  ships  of  war  are 
subjected,  in  which  timber  after  timber  is  supplied,  until  none 
of  the  original  material  is  left ;  the  only  difference  being,  that 
in  the  case  of  the  carriage  no  care  had  been  taken  to  preserve 
the  model,  or  to  adapt  the  last  repair  to  the  one  which  had 
preceded  it.  The  horses  were  generally  elegant — but  such  a 
heterogeneous  assortment  of  equipments  !  How  could  it  be 
otherwise  ]  There  was  not  a  saddler  within  fifty  miles,  and  a 
gentleman  who  had  the  misfortune  to  break  a  rein,  or  carry 
away  a  buckle,  not  being  able  to  procure  a  new  article,  must 
necessarily  submit  the  old  one  to  a  negro  cobbler,  or  leave  it 
to  the  ingenuity  of  his  own  groom.  The  most  usual  plan  was 
to  supply  the  rent  with  the  nearest  string.  Thus  it  happened 
that  many  of  the  animals  were  nobly  caparisoned ;  elegant 
saddles,  dashing  saddle-cloths,  martingales,  and  double-reined 
bridles,  were  abundant ;  but  when  one  of  these  spruce  affairs 
had  chanced  to  be  broken,  a  knot  or  a  splice,  with  a  thong  of 
rein-deer  skin,  not  unfrequently  united  the  several  parts,  while 
a  rope  or  strap  of  leather  was  sometimes  substituted  for  a 
girth.  Some  gentlemen  rode  saddles  without  girths,  and  some 
rode  with  blind-bridles ;  for  among  this  equestrian  order  any 
thing  that  could  be  ridden  with,  or  ridden  upon,  was  better 
than  walking,  and  any  thing  at  all  was  far  better  than  staying 
away  from  the  barbecue  ! 

However  odd  all  this  might  seem  at  first  sight  to  a  stranger, 
there  was  something  in  it  that  was  remarkably  pleasant — a 
something  which  showed  that  the  most  detestable  of  all  pride, 
that  which  estimates  an  individual  by  his  external  appearance, 
was  totally  wanting.  There  was  a  cordiality,  a  confidence  in 
being  kindly  received  for  one's  own  sake,  which  was  cheering 
to  the  heart.  The  girls,  too,  looked  charmingly  ;  and  it  was 
marvellous  to  see  them  coming  in  pairs,  two  on  a  horse,  or 
mounted  behind  their  fathers  and  brothers,  laughing  and  chat- 
ting, and  just  as  happy  as  if  they  had  ridden  in  coaches.  And 
then  the  greetings  !  one  would  have  thought  that  a  single  clan 


36  LEGKNDSOFTHEWEST. 

had  peopled  the  whole  neighbourhood  ;  the  stately  old  gentle- 
men as  they  shook  hands  saluted  each  other  as  cousin  Jones, 
cousin  Lee,  and  cousin  Thompson,  with  here  and  there  an  oc- 
casional Mr.  or  Sir ;  but  the  girls  were  all  cousins,  and  the 
old  ladies  were  aunts  to  all  the  world — that  is,  to  all  that  part 
of  the  world  which  paraded  at  the  barbecue. 

It  was  a  gay  scene ;  the  horses  hitched  to  the  surrounding 
trees,  the  ladies  sitting  in  groups  or  parading  about,  and  the 
gentlemen  preparing  for  the  diversions  of  the  day.  Some 
dispersed  into  the  woods  with  their  fowling-pieces,  some  dis- 
tributed themselves  along  the  rocks  that  overhung  the  river, 
and  threw  out  their  fishing-lines,  and  others  launched  their 
canoes  in  the  stream,  and  sought  the  finny  tribes  in  the  eddies 
of  the  rapid  current.  A  few  of  the  ladies  participated  in  the 
amusement  of  angling,  whether  to  show  their  skill  in  throwing 
out  a  bait,  or  to  prove  that  they  possessed  the  virtue  of  pa- 
tience, is  not  known ;  but  it  is  certain  that  they  broke  quite 
as  many  rods  and  lines  as  hearts. 


HARPE'S   HEAD.  37 


CHAPTER    III. 

*  :**   A*. 

"IMMEDIATELY  opposite  the  spot  at  which  our  party  -was 
•*-  assembled,  the  river  rushed  over  a  series  of  rocky  ledges, 
intersected  by  numberless  fissures,  affording  channels  to  the 
water,  which  at  the  same  time  foamed  and  dashed  over  the 
rocks.  A  number  of  the  youth  were  amusing  themselves  in 
navigating  these  ripples  with  canoes.  By  keeping  the  channels, 
they  could  pass  in  safety  down  the  rapids,  but  it  required  the 
greatest  skill  to  avoid  the  rocks,  and  to  steer  the  boat  along 
the  serpentine  and  sometimes  angular  passes,  by  which  alone 
it  could  be  brought  in  safety  through  the  ripples.  Sometimes 
a  canoe,  missing  its  course,  shot  off  into  a  pool  or  eddy,  where 
the  still  water  afforded  a  secure  harbour  ;  but  if  it  happened  to 
touch  a  rock,  in  the  rapid  descent,  inevitable  shipwreck  was 
the  consequence.  The  competitors  in  this  adventurous  enter- 
tainment soon  became  numerous  ;  several  of  the  young  ladies, 
who  loved  sport  too  well,  or  feared  the  water  too  little,  to  be 
deterred  by  the  danger  of  a  wetting,  engaged  in  it ;  so  that 
some  of  the  canoes  were  seen  to  contain,  besides  the  steers- 
man, a  single  female,  for  these  frail  vessels  were  only  intended 
for  two  persons. 

They  first  pushed  their  canoes  up  the  stream  with  poles, 
keeping  close  to  the  shore,  where  the  current  flowed  with  little 
rapidity,  until  they  reached  the  head  of  the  ripple;  then 
taking  their  paddles  they  shot  out  into  the  stream,  guided 
their  boats  into  the  channels,  darting  down  with  the  velocity 

298672 


38  LEGENDS   OF  THE   WEST. 

of  an  arrow,  sometimes  concealed  among  the  rocks,  and  some- 
times hidden  by  the  foam,  and  in  a  few  minutes  were  seen 
gliding  out  over  the  smooth  water  below,  having  passed  for 
nearly  a  mile  through  this  dangerous  navigation.  Sometimes 
they  purposely  forsook  the  channel,  and  showed  their  skill  by 
turning  suddenly  into  the  eddies  on  either  side,  where  they 
would  wait  until  the  next  boat  passed,  and  dart  after  it  in 
eager  chase.  Dangerous  as  this  amusement  appeared,  there 
was  in  fact  little  to  be  apprehended  ;  for  the  upsetting  of  a 
canoe,  which  seldom  occurred,  would  throw  the  passengers 
into  shallow  water,  or  lodge  them  against  a  rock,  with  no 
other  injury  than  a  wetting,  or  perhaps  a  slight  bruise. 

Fenniinore,  who  had  walked  with  Miss  Pendleton  to  the 
shore,  and  watched  the  canoes  for  some  time,  proposed  to  her 
to  join  the  party. 

"  Can  you  manage  a  canoe  ?"  inquired  she,  hesitating. 

"Try  me/'  said  he,  gaily.  "I  would  surely  not  venture 
to  take  so  precious  a  charge  without  some  confidence  in  my 
skill.  I  have  been  a  western  ranger  for  several  years,  and 
am  quite  familiar  with  the  use  of  the  paddle." 

Virginia  stepped  into  the  canoe,  and  having  seated  herself 
in  the  prow,  while  Fennimore  took  possession  of  the  stern, 
exclaimed, 

"A  ranger!  I  am  surprised,  Mr.  Fennimore  ;  why,  you 
do  not  look  like  a  ranger  !" 

"  Am  I  at  liberty  to  consider  that  doubt  as  a  compli- 
ment!" 

"  Oh  no — I  do  not  pay  compliments.  But  I  always  thought 
that  a  ranger  was  a  great  rough  man,  with  a  blanket  round 
his  shoulders,  a  tomahawk  at  his  belt,  and  a  rifle  in  his 
hand." 

"  Such  indeed  is  a  part  of  the  equipment  of  the  backwoods 
soldier;  and  believe  me,  Miss  Pendleton,  many  of  the  most 
gallant  men  of  this  day  have  earned  their  laurels  in  such  a 


HAHPE'S   HEAD.  39 

"  Oh,  terrible !  you  will  destroy  some  of  my  finest  asso- 
ciations. I  never  think  of  a  hero  without  fancying  him  a  tall 
elegant  man  in  dashing  regimentals,  with  a  rich  sword-knot, 
and  a  pair  of  remarkably  handsome  epaulettes." 

"  Add  to  your  picture  a  powdered  head,  a  long  queue,  a 
stiff  form,  and  measured  tread,  and  you  have  the  beau-ideal  of 
a  soldier  of  the  school  of  Baron  Steuben." 

"  Say  not  a  word  against  that  school,  Mr.  Fennimore ;  it 
has  produced  a  noble  race  of  heroes.  What  would  have  be- 
come of  our  country  had  it -not  been  for  those  fine  old 
generals,  who  trained  our  soldiers  to  war  in  the  late  revolu- 
tion, and  who  were  models  of  that  neatness  and  military 
etiquette,  which  I  am  afraid  you  undervalue.  We  have  a  dear 
old  gentleman  here,  whom  you  will  see  at  dinner,  and  who  is 
an  excellent  specimen  of  by-gone  times." 

"Who  is  he?" 

"  General  Armour,  one  of  our  revolutionary  veterans,  a 
most  excellent  man,  but  who  seems  to  think  that  the  highest 
degree  of  human  excellence  consists  in  looking  and  acting 
like  a  soldier.  He  continues  to  wear  his  three-cornered  hat, 
his  buff  waistcoat,  and  his  blue  regimental  coat  turned  up 
with  red,  and  would  rather  part  with  his  estate  than  with  his 
black  cockade." 

"  I  honour  such  men,"  said  Fennimore ;  "  but  see,  here  we 
are  at  the  head  of  the  rapids." 

Fennimore  paddled  his  light  canoe  over  the  smooth  water 
above  the  rapids,  advancing  towards  the  reefs  and  then  re- 
tiring, describing  circles  with  his  little  vessel,  as  if  to  try  his 
skill  before  he  ventured  among  the  breakers.  He  was  evi- 
dently quite  familiar  with  this  exercise  ;  and  Virginia,  as  she 
beheld  with  admiration  the  strength  and  dexterity  with  which 
he  handled  the  paddle,  felt  no  longer  the  slightest  timidity, 
but  enjoyed  the  exciting  sport. 

"  Let  me  now  acknowledge  freely,"  said  Fennimore,  as  he 
cast  his  eye  over  the  ripple,  "  that  I  am  unwilling  to  attempt 


40  LEGENDS   OF   THE    WEST. 

a  dangerous  navigation,  which  is  new  to  me,  with  so  valuable  a 
charge." 

Virginia  smiled.  "  I  have  often  passed  these  rocks,"  said 
she,  "  and  feel  no  fear  ;  but  if  you  have  the  slightest  desire  to 
return,  let  us  do  so." 

The  stranger  hesitated ;  his  prudence  restraining  him, 
while  the  natural  ambition  which  a  young  man  feels  in  the 
presence  of  a  lady  urged  him  on,  until  Miss  Pendleton  re- 
lieved him  by  saying,  "  Let  us  run  no  risks,  Mr.  Fennimore. 
I  should  not  relish  a  wetting ;  and  I  am  in  fault  for  not  telling 
you  sooner,  that  it  would  be  difficult,  if  not  impossible,  for 
you  to  pass  through  the  rapids  without  knowing  the  channel." 

At  this  moment  a  canoe  darted  past  them,  containing  a 
young  lady  and  a  gentleman.  Both  were  laughing  ;  and  the 
young  man,  proud  of  his  skill,  in  attempting  to  flourish  his 
paddle  round  his  head,  as  a  kind  of  salute  to  Miss  Pendleton, 
unluckily  threw  it  from  his  hand.  An  exclamation  of  affright 
arose  from  both  parties ;  for  the  canoe  was  rapidly  approach- 
ing the  breakers,  while  the  steersman  had  no  means  of 
directing  its  course. 

"  Shall  I  follow  ?"  cried  Fennimore. 

"  By  all  means,"  exclaimed  his  companion  ;  and  in  a  mo- 
ment he  was  rapidly  pursuing  the  drifting  canoe.  The  latter 
kept  its  course  for  a  little  while,  then  swinging  round,  floated 
with  the  broadside  to  the  current,  rising  and  sinking  with  an 
unsteady  motion,  now  striking  one  end  against  a  rock,  and 
whirling  round,  and  now  the  other,  and  sometimes  darting 
head-foremost  through  the  spray.  Fennimore  pressed  on  with 
admirable  skill,  urging  his  canoe  forward  with  all  his  strength 
to  overtake  them,  and  guiding  it  with  unerring  sagacity.  He 
had  nearly  reached  the  object  of  his  pursuit,  when  it  struck  a 
rock,  and  upset,  throwing  the  lady  and  gentleman  into  the 
deepest  part  of  the  channel. 

"  Keep  your  seat,  Mr.  Fennimore  !  Guide  the  canoe  !" 
exclaimed  Virginia  rapidly,  as  with  admirable  presence  of 


HARPE'S   HEAD.  41 

mind  she  rose  from  her  seat,  kneeled  in  the  boat,  and  leaning 
forward  caught  the  floating  lady  by  the  arm,  while  Fennimore 
at  the  same  instant,  by  a  powerful  exertion,  threw  the  canoe 
into  an  eddy  where  the  waters  were  still.  The  whole  was  the 
work  of  an  instant;  but  it  was  witnessed  from  the  shore,  and 
a  burst  of  applause  excited  by  the  presence  of  mind  shown  by 
Fennimore  and  Miss  Pendleton.  The  dripping  lady  was 
drawn  into  the  boat ;  the  drooping  gentleman,  who  had 
crawled  on  a  rock,  was  taken  in  as  a  passenger ;  and,  when 
they  reached  the  shore,  it  would  have  be'en  difficult  to  guess 
that  any  of  the  laughing  party  had  met  with  a  disaster.  They 
were  greeted  with  a  hundred  merry  voices  as  they  ascended 
the  bank,  and  Mr.  Fennimore  forgot,  in  the  lively  scene,  that 
he  was  a  strange/. 

It  was  now  nearly  noon,  when  the  arrival  of  a  hunting- 
party  that  had  gone  out  at  daybreak,  attracted  universal  at- 
tention. At  its  head  rode  an  elderly  man  of  large  frame, 
whose  face  was  browned  by  many  a  summer's  sun.  He  wore 
a  suit  of  plain  homespun,  a  handkerchief  was  bound  closely 
round  his  head  instead  of  a  hat,  and  his  legs  from  a  little  above 
the  knee  downward  were  wrapped  in  buckskin,  to  protect 
them  from  the  briers,  in  riding  rapidly  through  the  forest. 
Under  one  arm  hung  a  large  powder-horn,  on  the  other  side 
was  suspended  a  square  pouch ;  and  a  broad  leathern  belt, 
buckled  closely  round  him,  kept  his  dress  and  accoutrements 
confined  to  his  body.  A  large  buck,  the  noblest  trophy  of 
the  morning's  chase,  was  thrown  across  the  horse,  behind  the 
saddle,  and  bound  to  the  rider's  back,  with  the  head  and  feet 
dangling  on  either  side  against  the  flanks  of  the  steed.  After 
him  came  a  dozen  hunters,  mostly  young  men,  variously 
equipped,  some  in  gay -hunting-shirts,  with  elegant  rifles,  and 
others  in  the  plainer  garb  of  ordinary  woodsmen.  Among 
them,  they  brought  several  deer  of  a  smaller  size,  and  a 
variety  of  wild  turkeys,  and  smaller  game. 


42  LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 

"  What  a  fine  buck  !"  exclaimed  several  voices.  "  Ah, 
Colonel  Antler,  you  always  carry  the  day !" 

"And  so  he  should,"  said  General  Armour,  "the  veterans 
should  set  good  examples  to  the  new  recruits.  I  congratulate 
you,  my  old  friend." 

"  True  enough,"  replied  the  hunter,  "  we  ought  to  lead  the 
young  fellows;  but  to  tell  the  truth,!  have  trained  these  lads 
until  some  of  them  know  almost  as  much  as  myself." 

A  loud  laugh  from  the  hunters  followed  this  speech. 

"  Come,"  said  General  Armour,  "  do  us  the  favour  to  make 
your  report ;  tell  us  how  the  buck  was  taken,  before  you 
alight." 

"Hard  duty,  that,"  replied  the  leading  hunter,  "  for  I  am 
as  dry  as  a  powder-horn.  But  the  story  is  very  short.  We 
had  agreed  to  drive.  I  had  seen  large  tracks  about  the  Cold 
Spring,  up  in  the  North  Hollow,  lately,  for  several  mornings 
in  succession,  and  I  knew  that  a  big  buck  haunted  about  there. 
We  determined  to  surround  him,  and  accordingly  stationed 
ourselves  at  different  points.  I  placed  myself  behind  a  large 
tree  on  a  path  leading  across  the.  hollow.  A  driver  was  sent 
in  to  start  the  game,  and  presently  I  saw  this  fine  fellow  steal- 
ing along  at  an  easy  gallop,  treading  as  gently  as  a  cat,  and 
leaping  over  the  logs  so  lightly  as  hardly  to  crush  a  leaf. 
There  was  a  light  breeze  from  the  south,  and  some  of  the 
young  men  had  gone  up  in  that  direction,  expecting  that  he 
would  run  with  his  nose  to  the  wind — and  so  he  did,  until  he 
scented  them,  when  he  suddenly  turned  towards  the  place 
where  I  stood.  I  knew  exactly  where  he  would  stop,  and  re- 
mained perfectly  still.  On  he  came  at  an  easy  lope,  until  he 
reached  the  top  of  a  little  knoll  about  sixty  yards  from  me. 
There  he  halted,  wheeled  round,  and  stood  perfectly  still,  with 
one  fore-foot  raised,  the  ear  thrown  forward,  and  his  eye 
flashing— listening  and  snuffing  the  breeze.  I  fired,  and  down 
he  fell.  In  a  moment  he  rose  and  dashed  off;  but  I  knew  I 
had  saved  him,  dropped  the  butt  of  my  rifle,  and  began  to  load. 


HARPE'S  HEAD.  43 

A  hunter,  General,  should  never  quit  the  spot  from  which  he 
fires,  until  he  loads  up  again." 

"  That's  right,  Colonel,  on  military  principles." 

"  I  know  it  to  be  right,  on  hunting  principles." 

"  It  is  mathematically  and  morally  right,"  replied  the 
veteran ;  "  military  rules  are  all  founded  on  the  immutable 
basis  of  truth — but  I  beg  pardon  ;  proceed,  sir." 

"  The  company  all  knew  the  crack  of  my  rifle,  and  came 
galloping  up,  the  dogs  took  the  trail  of  the  blood,  and  away 
they  all  went  in  chase,  as  hard  as  their  horses  could  carry 
them.  I  mounted,  rode  quietly  over  the  hill,  and  fell  in  ahead 
of  them,  just  as  the  buck  had  turned  to  bay.  Up  came  the 
young  gentlemen  and  slipped  in  between  me  and  the  game, 
but  without  seeing  me.  Charles  Cleaveland  had  raised  his 
gun  to  his  face,  and  my  nephew  Will,  the  rogue,  was  taking 
aim,  when  I  said,  '  Boys  !'  They  both  looked  round,  and  at 
the  same  moment  my  bullet  whistled  between  them  and 
knocked  over  the  buck." 

"  Bravo  !"  cried  several  voices. 

"  That  was  not  fair,  uncle,"  cried  Miss  Pendleton ;  "  you 
outwitted  the  other  gentlemen  by  your  superior  knowledge  of 
the  woods." 

"  Hey  ?  Cousin  Virginia  ;  not  fair !  Why,  what's  the  use 
of  an  old  hunter's  experience  but  to  outwit  the  bucks — the 
old  bucks  of  the  woods,  and  the  young  bucks  of  the  settle- 
ments." 

"  I  have  done,  uncle,"  replied  Virginia,  laughing. 

"  Well,  here's  one  who  has  nothing  to  complain  of — George 
Lee ;  he  found  a  fat  yearling  doe  on  the  pine  ridge,  and 
brought  her  off.  Henry  Mountfort  has  another,  and  the  rest 
of  them  have  shot  small  game." 

The  party  now  alighted,  and  the  servants  were  soon  em- 
ployed in  preparing  the  game  for  dinner. 

A  long  table  was  now  spread  under  the  trees,  and  loaded 
with  an  abundant  and  not  inelegant  repast.  Venison,  poultry, 


44  LEGENDS    OF    THE    WEST. 

hams,  and  rounds  of  beef,  cooked  on  the  ground,  sent  up  their 
savoury  vapours,  while  numberless  huge  baskets  of  cold  viands, 
consisting  of  pullets,  tongues,  bread,  cakes,  and  pastry,  sup- 
plied that  variety  and  profusion  of  eatables,  which  are  sup- 
posed  to  have  characterized  the  hospitality  of  our  worthy 
grandmothers.  The  company  took  their  seats  with  great  de- 
corum and  no  small  parade  of  etiquette  ;  and  the  preparations 
for  a  general  onset,  like  the  breaking  ground  of  a  besieg- 
ing army,  advanced  with  system  and  with  a  due  attention 
to  all  the  little  details  customarily  observed  on  such  solemn 
occasions.  But  as  the  scene  became  more  lively,  good  things 
were  said  and  eaten  with  a  rapidity  that  would  have  defied 
the  skill  of  even  a  modern  reporter ;  and  amidst  the  Babel 
of  voices,  a  few  only  of  the  most  prominent  speakers  could  be 
occasionally  heard. 

"  I'll  trouble  you,  General  Armour,  for  a  slice  of  that  veni- 
son,— take  it  rare,  if  you  please, — pardon  me  for  interrupt- 
ing you " 

"  I  was  about  to  remark,  that  when  General  Washington 
determined  to  cut  off  the  supply  of  provisions  from  Philadel- 
phia  " 

"Bad  business  that — cutting  off  provisions,"  remarked  the 
venison-eater. 

"  General,  a  morsel  of  the  fat,  if  you  please." 

"—When  General  Washington  in  '77  determined " 

"  Allow  me  to  recommend  this  fish,  General." 

"  I  am  very  well  helped determined  to  cut  off " 

"  Did  you  say  fish,  madam  ?  With  great  pleasure.  Let 
me  add  some  of  this  butter,  and  a  glass  of  wine.  My  father, 

madam,  who  was  a  very  facetious  old  gentleman " 

"  He  detached  six  hundred  militia  over  the  Schuylkill,  un- 
der General  Potter " 

"Quite  a  wit ;  I  knew  him  well." 

"  He  intercepted  their  foraging  parties,  as  directed  by  the 
commander-in-chief " 


HARPE'SHEAD.  45 

ras  very  fond  of  fish,  madam." 
rho,  General  Washington?" 

**  No,  sir,  my  late  father.  He  used  to  say  that  fish  should 
swim  three  times " 

"  On  the  roads  leading  to  Chester,  Lancaster,  and — 

"Three  times,  madam;  first  in  the  water,  then  in  butter, 
and  then  in  wine." 

"  General  Washington  remarking  that " 

"  — Dancing  was  a  popular  amusement " 

"  — Gave  strict  orders " 

"  The  fiddlers  should  be  kept  sober." 

"  What  did  you  say  about  the  tender  passion,  madam?" 

"  General  Knox " 

«  —Who  played  the  first  fiddle " 

«  —Wrote  the  Essay  on  Man " 

" — Between  sunset  and  roll-call " 

"  — So  the  leather  affairs  were  sent  to  General  Lee " 

"  — A  very  pathetic  story " 

"  —Told  in  Hume's  England." 

"  — For  my  father,  you  know,  ma'am,  was  a  witty  man." 

Buzz!  buzz!  buzz!  all  became  a  confused  clatter,  which 
continued  until  the  cloth  was  removed  and  the  ladies  retired. 
A  separation  of  the  three  estates  now  took  place  ; — the  elder 
gentlemen  remained  at  the  table,  the  matronly  portion  of  the 
females  betook  themselves  to  the  surrounding  seats,  and  the 
youthful  part  of  the  assembly  arranged  themselves  in  sets 
for  dancing.  Mr.  Fennimore  had  already  discovered  that 
Miss  Pendleton  was  emphatically  the  Belle  ;  and  her  title  to 
this  distinction  became  more  evident  when  the  younger  part 
of  the  company,  relieved  from  the  presence  of  their  seniors, 
were  enabled  to  act  out  their  own  characters  more  freely. 
The  young  ladies  evidently  yielded  to  her  the  precedence,  and 
the  gentlemen  were  emulous  in  paying  her  attention.  As  the 
acknowledged  heiress  of  Major  Heyward,  her  expectations,  in 
point  of  fortune,  were  of  the  brightest  character,  and  in  beauty 


46  LEGENDS  OF  THE   WEST. 

she  had  no  superior ;  while  her  vigorous  understanding,  the 
decision  of  her  mind,  and  the  playfulness  of  her  conversation, 
threw  an  air  of  freshness  and  originality  around  her,  as  rare  as 
it  was  captivating.  Among  her  constant  admirers,  the  most 
devoted  was  George  Lee,  a  young  gentleman,  whose  fine  per- 
son was  only  equalled  by  the  utter  imbecility  of  his  mind. 
He  was  tall,  stout,  well  built,  and  easy  in  his  deportment.  • 
His  features,  taken  singly,  were  manly  and  handsome ;  but 
his  face,  as  a  whole, 'had  not  the  slightest  expression  of  any 
thing  but  good-nature.  Amiable,  kind,  generous  to  prodigal- 
ity, and  simple  as  a  child,  there  never  lived  a  more  artless,  a 
better  tempered,  or  a  weaker  man.  His  fine  appearance  and 
gentlemanly  deportment  never  failed  to  earn  him  respect  on 
a  first  acquaintance,  and  the  goodness  of  his  heart  rendered 
him  a  general  favourite  among  those  who  had  known  him  long. 

"  Will  you  dance  with  me,  cousin  Virginia  ?"  said  he,  as 
soon  as  he  could  plant  himself  at  her  side. 

"  I  have  almost  promised  not  to  dance  to-day." 

"  But  with  me :  I  know  you  will  dance  with  me.  I  have 
been  trying  all  day  to  get  to  speak  to  you." 

"  I  am  glad  you  were  so  much  better  employed." 

"  No,  that  was  not  the  reason  ;  but  you  are  always  so  sur- 
rounded. You  know  that  I  would  rather  talk  to  you  than  do 
any  thing  else  in  the  world." 

"  Do  not  talk  so,  cousin  George." 

"  Why  not  1  You  know  I  think  so.  I  am  not  ashamed  of 
it.  You  know  that  I  have  always  told  you  so.  But  you  do 
not  know  the  half  that  I  feel " 

"  I  will  dance  with  you,  Mr.  Lee,"  said  Miss  Pendleton, 
willing  to  interrupt  his  silly  courtship. 

"Thank  you,  but  don't  call  me  Mr.  Zee— you  know  I  can't 
bear  that ;"  and  away  they  tripped. 

The  company  separated  at  an  early  hour  ;  and  Mr.  Fenni- 
more  was  not  displeased  at  having  shared  the  festivities  of  this 
agreeable  day,  or  at  being  destined  to  pass  another  night  un- 
der the  hospitable  roof  of  Major  Heyward. 


H  A  R  P  E  '  S     H  E  A  D  .  47 


CHAPTEE    IV. 

A  S  Mr.  George  Lee  will  come  occasionally  under  the  notice 
-^*-  of  the  reader,  during  the  progress  of  this  history,  we  think 
it  advisable  to  devote  a  few  pages  to  some  special  details  re- 
lating to  his  parentage  and  character.  This  interesting  young 
gentleman,  the  descendant  of  an  ancient  family,  was  the  only 
son  of  a  respectable  planter  who  lived  and  died  upon  his  own 
estate,  adjoining  that  of  Major  Heyward,  to  whom  he  was 
distantly  related.  The  elder  Mr.  Lee  was  only  distinguished 
among  his  neighbours  as  an  industrious  man,  who  superintended 
his  labourers  faithfully  during  the  day  and  smoked  his  pipe 
contentedly  at  night.  He  pursued  this  life  so  evenly  for  many 
years,  that  the  only  vicissitudes  which  marked  his  days  were 
those  produced  by  the  revolutions  of  the  seasons  or  the 
changes  of  the  atmosphere — except,  indeed,  that  he  was  occa- 
sionally induced  to  join  a  hunting  expedition  in  the  mountains, 
or  allured  to  the  lowlands  to  participate  in  a  feast  of  oysters. 
Having  been  reared  on  the  borders  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  he  had 
been  early  instructed  in  the  use  of  the  gun  ;  and  long  before 
he  reached  the  age  of  manhood,  could  track  the  timorous  deer 
through  all  the  labyrinths  of  the  forest.  He  had  even  ven- 
tured upon  more  dangerous  enterprises,  and  on  more  than  one 
occasion  had  joined  the  gallant  volunteers  of  his  nativewState 
in  repelling  the  incursions  of  the  savage  tribe.  When  he 
married,  HeTiung  up  his  rifle  and  laid  aside  his  moccasins,  but 
still  cherished  them  as  old  acquaintances,  and  could  be  pre- 


48  LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 

L  /     f 
vailed  upon  at  any  time,  by  slight  entreaty,  to  resume  them 

both.  He  had  many  acquaintances  among  the  Rowland  gen- 
try, who  loved  his  society  because  he  had^  good  appetite  and 
a  hard  head,  was  fond  of  oysters  and  apple-todd}*,  and  was  an 
excellent  listener ;  and,  what  was  perhaps  not  the  least  of  his 
gpod  qualities,  he  seldom  made  them  a  visit  without  carrying 
with  him  a  fat  mountain-deer,  as  a  present.  He  was,  there- 
fore, an  occasional,  and  always  a  welcome  visitor,  at  those . 
glorious  fish-feasts  at  which  the  gentlemen  of  Virginia  display 
such  consummate  skill,  in  catching,  cooking,  and  consuming^ 
the  inhabitants  of  the  deep.  He '  was  so  well  pleased  upon 
such  occasions,  that  he  might  have  become  a  punctual  partici- 
pant in  these  festivities,  had  it  not  been  for  the  frequent  ad- 
monitions of  Mrs.  Lee,  who  observed  that  her,  husband,^ 
though  rigidly  temperate  at  home,  never  returned  from  such  ' 
merry-meetings  without  exhibiting  a  certain  unnatural  exhila- 
ration of  spirits,  not  exactly  conforming  with  this  good  lady's 
notions  of  propriety.  She  therefore  more  than  once  hinted 
that  oysters  and  toddy  did  not  agree  with  Mr.  Lee  ;  and  that 
gentleman,  who  had  implicit  faith  in  the  penetration  of  his 
helpmate,  as  readily  promised  to  eat  fewer  oysters  and  more  , 
trout,  and  to  substitute  brand  y-and-water  for  toddy.  But  as 
this  arrangement  neither  produced  the  desired  effect,  nor  sat- 
isfied the  lady,  he  at  last  compounded  matters,  like  a  good 
husband,  by  agreeing  to  go  to  the  lowlands  but  twice  a  year. 
Under  this  convention,  which  was  kept  inviolate,  matters  went 
on  like  clock-work ;  the  plough  and  the  loom  were  plied 
incessantly ;  the  fields  grew  wider,  and  the  tobacco  crops 
more  abundant;  the  negroes  were  fat  and  well  clad;  and  Mr. 
Lee,  as  he  ripened  in  years,  increased  in  substance.  The  lady 
who  was  the  moving  cause  of  this  prosperity  may  be  sketched 
off  in  a  few  words.  Like  her  husband,  she  came  of  an  aristo- 
cratic stock;  but,  unlike  him,  she  was  shrewd,  sensible,  active, 
and  gifted  with  an  uncommon  knack  for  managing  every  thing 
and  every  body  around  her.  She  managed  the  plantation, 


f 


H  A  R  P  E  '  S     1 1  E  A  D  .  •        49    * 

>_ 

the  dairy,  the  poultry,  the  household,  the  negroes;  she  man- 
aged her  husband  ;  and,  what  was  better  than  all,  she  regula- 
ted her  own  temper  and  conduct  with  great  decorum,  and 
managed  to  be  the  most  popular  woman  in  the  neighbour- 
hood. Of  book-learning  she  had  not  much,  for  ladies,  in  that 
dark  age,  were  not  taught  the  sciences,  3id  not  visit  lyceums, 
and  had  no  souvenirs.  But  then  Mrs.  Lee  had  a  mind  of  her 
own ;  her  sensibilities  were  acute  and  her  ambition  great ; 
and  as  she  carefully  improved  every  opportunity  for  gaining 
-informatforr,  she  became  as  .intelligent  as  a  lady  could  well  be 
without  the  interesting  aids  above  mentioned. 

Such  had  been  the  prosperous  condition  of  this  family  for 
several  years,  when  the  oppressions  of  Great  Britain  began  to 
awaken  her  colonies  to  a  sense  of  their  rights.  Mr.  Lee  for 
a  long  time  turned  a  deaf  ear  to  the  murmurs  which  sur- 
rounded him.  Having  been  in  the  habit  of  waiting  on  all 
occasions  for  Mrs.  Lee  to  go  foremost,  it  never  occurred  to 
him  to  be  discontented  while  she  seemed  to  be  satisfied.  He 
was  as  happy  as  a  clam.  His  horses  thrived,  and  his  corn 
ytelded  famously ;  and  when  his  neighbours  indignantly 
'repeated  their  long  catalogue  of  grievances,  he  quietly  re- 
sponded that  King  George  had  never  done  him  any  harm.  But 
no  sooner  did  that  good  lady  take  the  patriot  side,  and  incau- 
tiously drop  a  rebellious  expression  in  his  hearing,  than  he 
began  to  examine  the  case  with  different  eyes.  By  degrees, 
jis  the  wrongs  of  his  country  were  more  clearly  developed,  a 
radical  change  was  operated  in  his  feelings  and  habits.  He 
became  a  frequent  attendant  at  public  meetings,  employed  an 
overseer  to  conduct  his  business,  and  took  to  reading  the 
newspapers ;  he  lighted  his  pipe  more  frequently  than  usual, 
•and  walked  to  and  fro  for  hours  on  the  lawn  before  his  door, 
with  the  air  of  a  person  in  great  perplexity.  His  wife  observed 
all  this  with  silent  anxiety,  for  she  was  not  in  the  habit  of 
crossing  his  humours,  but  rather  of  directing  them  skilfully  to 
the  accomplishment  of  her  own  purposes ;  and  after  some 


50  LEGENDSOFTHEWEST. 

days  she  ventured  to  ask  her  husband  what  engaged  his 
thoughts  so  busily.  Mr.  Lee,  like  a  boy  who  is  about  to 
ask  a  boon  which  he  expects  will  not  be  granted,  had  not 
courage  to  face  the  question  when  thus  suddenly  presented; 
and  hastily  replying  that  he  hardly  knew  what  he  was  think- 
ing about,  put  on  his  hat  and  sallied  forth  to  his  accustomed 
promenade.  After  marching  about  for  several  hours  with 
unusual  agility,  he  returned  with  the  air  of  a  man  who  has 
made  up  his  mind,  and  sitting  down  by  his  good  lady,  said, 
"  I'll  tell  you,  Mrs.  Lee,  what  I  have  been  considering  about. 
I  think  that  King  George  is  neither  an  honest  man  nor  a  gen- 
tleman ;  and  if  he  sends  any  more  of  his  soldiers  to  murder 
their  fellow-subjects  in  these  colonies,  I'll  be  the  first  man  to 
shoulder  a  musket  against  them."  To  his  surprise,  his  excel- 
lent better  half  not  only  applauded  this  spirited  resolution, 
but  complimented  his  patriotism  in  the  most  flattering  terms. 
As  we  design  to  write  the  history  of  the  father  only  as  in- 
troductory to  that  of  the  son,  we  shall  not  ask  the  reader  to 
accompany  the  former  through  all  his  campaigns.  Suffice  it 
to  say,  that  he  was  a  brave  though  not  an  active  officer,  and 
that  after  serving  his  country  faithfully  during  the  whole  war, 
and  attaining  the  rank  of  captain,  he  retired,  when  the  struggle 
was  over,  to  his  beloved  retreat  among  the  Blue  Mountains. 
Besides  some  honourable  scars,  he  brought  back  with  him  sev- 
eral new  propensities.  lie  rose  at  daybreak,  and,  having 
swallowed  a  mint-julep,  sallied  forth  bare-headed,  in  his 
slippers,  and  without  his  coat ;  and  having  cooled  himself  in 
the  open  air,  repaired  to  his  station  in  the  chimney-corner. 
This,  which  he  called  "  turning  out  at  reveille,"  he  practised 
at  all  seasons.  He  had,  moreover,  learned  several  military 
and  political  maxims,  which,  as  a  soldier  and  a  revolutionary 
patriot,  he  felt  bound  to  live  up  to.  One  of  these  was,  that  a 
captain  should  command  his  own  company,  a  proposition 
which  he  failed  not  to  repeat  to  Mrs.  Lee,  whenever  he  sus- 
pected her  of  intruding  upon  his  authority ;  and  another 


HEAD.  51 

referred  to  the  "  indefeasible"  right  of  pursuing  happiness,  as 
laid  down  in  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  which  guaran- 
teed to  him,  as  he  supposed,  the  privilege  of  entertaining  as 
much  company  as  he  pleased,  and  of  eating  as  many  oysters 
and  drinking  as  much  brandy  as  he  found  pleasant  and  pal- 
atable. His  pipe  became  his  inseparable  companion,  and 
the  management  of  all  his  affairs  devolved  on  his  wife.  He 
was  a  diligent  reader  of  the  newspapers,  and  pored  inces- 
santly over  the  numerous  political  tracts  which  issued  from  the 
presses  of  that  day.  He  became  a  great  talker,  and  described 
the  various  scenes  of  the  war  in  which  he  had  been  engaged 
with  a  minuteness  which  nothing  but  their  intense  interest 
could  have  rendered  tolerable.  Of  his  own  personal  adven- 
tures he  spoke  sparingly  and  with  great  modesty,  though  his 
merits  had  been  great.  Once  or  twice  only  he  informed  a 
confidential  friend,  that  he  deserved  to  have  been  made  a 
general  for  his  exploits,  and  would  undoubtedly  have  attained 
that  rank,  had  it  not  been  for  his  want  of  talents  and  educa- 
tion ;  but  he  ventured  such  remarks  with  great  caution,  and 
never  until  after  dinner. 

It  will  be  readily  imagined  that  Mr.  George  Lee,  junior, 
was  an  apt  pupil  in  the  school  of  so  meritorious  a  parent. 
The  heir  of  a  large  estate,  he  early  learned  that  he  lived  only 
to  enjoy  it,  and  to  spend  it  like  a  gentleman.  The  descendant 
of  a  revolutionary  hero,  he  felt  it  incumbent  on  him  to 
support  the  dignity  of  his  family.  Accustomed  to  see  his 
father's  table  loaded  with  a  profusion  of  the  bounties  of  na- 
ture, and  surrounded  by  crowds  of  welcome  guests,  hospitality 
became,  in  his  eyes,  the  chief  of  the  cardinal  virtues.  His 
father,  doating  upon  the  beautiful  boy,  who  was  said  to  be  the 
exact  image  of  himself,  carried  him  with  him,  not  only  in  his 
daily  walks  and  rides  around  his  own  plantation,  but  to  the 
numerous  parties  and  carousals  upon  which  he  was  now  a  reg- 
ular attendant.  Before  he  was  twelve  years  old,  this  precious 
youth  could  follow  the  hounds  at  full  speed  through  the 


52  LEGENDSOFTHEWEST. 

woods,  with  the  dexterity  of  a  practised  fox-hunter;  at  four- 
teen, he  was  a  member  of  a  fishing-club  and  an  excellent 
judge  of  cookery  and  Madeira;  and  at  sixteen,  when  his 
worthy  progenitor  was  gathered  to  his  fathers,  the  accom- 
plished heir  took  his  place  in  society,  qualified  in  all  respects 
to  fill  the  void  occasioned  by  this  melancholy  event. 

To  be  brief— George  Lee  was  a  good  fellow,  a  thorough 
sportsman,  and  a  most  hospitable  man.  His  purse,  his 
horses,  and  his  wine,  were  always  at  the  service  of  his  friends. 
Too  good-humoured  to  make  an  enemy,  too  generous  to  envy 
others,  and  too  feeble  of  intellect  to  lay  any  plan  beyond  the 
enjoyment  of  the  present  moment,  he  had  no  desires  which 
extended  farther  than  the  next  meal,  nor  any  anxieties  which 
a  bumper  of  Madeira  could  not  dispel.  His  mother  had  long 
since  abandoned  the  hopeless  task  of  training  his  mind  to  any 
serious  pursuit  or  any  solid  excellence,  because  it  was  impos- 
sible to  cultivate  that  which  did  not  exist.  But  he  had  afFec- 
tions  which  were  easily  moulded,  and  through  these  she 
obtained  all  that  in  such  a  case  was  practicable  :  the  entire 
management  of  his  estate,  and  the  accomplishment  of  any 
temporary  purpose  on  which  she  had  set  her  heart. 

It  was  in  consequence  of  a  plan  early  matured  by  this 
politic  lady,  that  George  Lee  attached  himself  to  Virginia 
Pendleton.  The  latter  was  an  orphan,  the  niece,  not  of  Major 
Hey  ward,  but  of  his  wife.  She  was  adopted  by  them  in  her 
infancy,  and,  as  they  had  no  children  of  their  own,  became  the 
idol  of  their  hearts  and  the  acknowledged  heiress  of  Major 
Heyward's  fortune.  When  Mrs.  Heyward  died,  Virginia 
was  quite  young,  and  Mrs.  Lee  supplied,  to  some  extent,  the 
place  of  a  mother  to  the  orphan  girl,  by  giving  her  advice 
from  time  to  time,  and  directing  her  inquisitive  mind  to 
proper  studies  and  correct  sources  of  information  ;  and  often 
did  she  wish  that  she  had  found  in  her  son  a  pupil  of  equal  do- 
cility and  intelligence.  It  therefore  very  naturally  occurred 
to  her,  that  if  George  was  deficient  in  intellect,  it  was  the 


HAEPE'S   HEAD.  53 

more  necessary  that  he  should  have  a  highly-gifted  wife,  who 
could  manage  his  affairs,  and  by  her  talents  and  personal 
charms  acquire  a  decided  influence  over  himself.  For  this 
office  Virginia  was  eminently  qualified,  and  to  this  important 
station  Mrs.  Lee  had  the  kindness  to  devote  her,  even  in  her 
childhood.  They  were  thrown  together  continually  ;  the  af- 
fectionate appellation  of  cousin  was  used  between  them,  and 
their  intercourse  was  that  of  brother  and  sister.  Virginia, 
grateful  for  the  kindness  of  Mrs.  Lee.  the  full  value  of  whose 
friendship  she  had  the  discernment  to  sge  and  the  sensibility 
to  feel,  became  sincerely  attached  to  George — but  with  an 
affection  precisely  similar  to  that  which  she  felt  for  his  mother 
and  Major  Heyward.  They  stood  to  her  in  the  place  of  rel- 
atives. And  such  also  were  the  feelings  of  George  Lee, 
until  he  was  nearly  grown  to  manhood,  when  the  judicious 
hints  of  his  mother,  pointing  out  the  eminent  attractions  of 
Virginia,  the  suitableness  of  their  ages,  tastes,  and  tempers, 
and  the  contiguity  of  their  estates,  opened  his  eyes  to  a  new 
idea,  which,  once  indulged,  remained  for  ever  implanted  in 
his  heart.  Not  that  he  for  a  moment  entered  into  the  spirit 
of  his  mother's  calculating  policy ;  he  was  too  careless  of 
wealth,  tocr  improvident,  and  too  generous  to*  form  a  sordid 
wish;  but  when  the  possibility  of  a  marriage  with  Virginia 
was  suggested  to  his  fancy,  her  own  matchless  charms  warmed 
in  his  heart  a  love  as  fervent  as  it  was  disinterested. 

Virginia  discovered  this  passion,  in  the  altered  manner  of 
her  young  friend,  with  unaffected  regret,  and  with  a  deter- 
mination to  discourage  it  by  evdry  means  in  her  power.  She 
continued  to  treat  him  with  the  same  kindness  and  confidence 
which  had  always  characterized  their  intercourse ;  while  she 
endeavoured  to  withdraw  herself  from  his  society  as  much  as 
was  practicable,  without  exciting  observation.  With  Mrs.  Lee 
she  was  more  explicit ;  and  when  that  lady,  at  first  to  feel 
her  way,  and  afterwards  to  advance  a  project  which  seemed 
feasible,  threw  out  repeated  hints  which  at  length  became  so 


54  LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 

broad  as  not  to  be  misunderstood,  she  replied  to  them  with  a 
frankness,  an  earnestness,  and  a  spirit  which  convinced  the 
female  politician  that  she  understood,  deplored,  and  disrelished 
the  whole  plan. 

But  Mr.  Lee  was  not  so  easily  repulsed.  He  was  not 
sufficiently  keen-sighted  to  discover  the  bearing  of  a  gentle 
hint,  nor  were  his  sensibilities  delicate  enough  to  be  wounded 
by  a  slight  repulse.  He  remained  true  to  his  first  love,  fol- 
lowing the  jdol  of  his  affections  into  every  company,  besieging 
her  at  home,  and  urging  his  suit  with  pressing  importunity 
whenever  a  favourable  opportunity— or  an  unfavourable  one, 
for  he  was  not  very  particular— occurred.  More  than  once 
was  his  suit  kindly  and  respectfully,  but  decidedly,  rejected. 
After  #  repulse,  George  betook  himself  to  his  horses,-  his  dogs, 
his  gun,.and  his  wine,  with  unwonted  assiduity.  No  one  dis- 
covered any  evidence  of  despair  in  his  voice  or  look ;  his 
laugh  was  as  loud  as  ever  and  his  song  as  joyous ;  but  the 
number  of  foxes  that  he  took,  and  the  bottles  that  he  cracked 
after  each  refusal,  was  marvellous.  A  few  weeks,  or  at  most 
a  few  months,  brought  him  back  to  Virginia's  feet.  Such 
was  the  state  of  affairs  at  the  period  which  we  have  chosen 
for  the  commencement  of  this  history. 


HARPE'SHEAD.  55 


CHAPTEE  Y. 

rwas  sunset  when  Major  Heyward  and  his  party  reached 
home.  Never  had  Fennimore  passed  so  delightful  a  day. 
The  hospitality  and  politeness  of  his  entertainment  had  taught 
him  to  forget  that  he  \vas  a  stranger.  Their  free  and  joyous 
hilarity  had  excited  his  feelings  and  given  a  fresh  impulse  to 
his  heart.  His  conversational  powers  were  naturally  fine,  and 
were  rendered  peculiarly  agreeable  by  a  simplicity  and  frank- 
ness peculiar  to  himself.  But,  under  the  influence  of  a  high 
flow  of  spirits,  his  manner  acquired  a  more  than  ordinary 
vivacity,  his  language  became  copious  and  brilliant,  and  the 
rich  stores  of  his  mind  began  to  exhibit  their  exuberance. 
Two  hours  passed  rapidly  away ;  the  parties,  pleased  with 
each  other,  conversed  with  that  freedom  which  is  the  result  of 
perfect  confidence,  and  with  a  degree  of  wit  and  animation 
which  showed  how  highly  they  all  enjoyed  the  intellectual  re- 
past. It  was  one  of  those  happy  moments  which  seldom  oc- 
cur, when  persons,  pleased  with  each  other  and  surrounded 
by  propitious  circumstances,  are  happy  without  effort  and 
agreeable  without  design. 

Major  Heyward  was  in  the  habit  of  retiring  early  to  bed, 
and  when  his  servant  appeared  to  attend  him  to  his  chamber, 
Mr.  Fennimore  desired  an  audience  of  a  few  minutes,  with  so 
much  earnestness,  that  he  was  invited  to  accompany  the 
worthy  old  man  to  his  sleeping  apartment.  Here  they  re- 
mained some  time  engaged  in  business,  and  then  all  the  parties 
separated  for  the  night. 


56  LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 

Mr.  Fennimore,  finding  that  it  was  still  early,  sat  down  to 
write  a  letter  to  his  friend  Charles  Wallace,  a  young  attorney 
in  Philadelphia,  in  which  the  events  of  the  day  were  alluded  to 
and  certain  characters  described  in  language  which  the  reader 
may  well  suppose  was  quite  as  sentimental  as  the  occasion  re- 
quired. We  shall  not  copy  this  epistle,  but  will  content  our- 
selves with  treating  the  reader  to  one  or  two  of  the  concluding 
paragraphs. 

« go  much  for  Virginia  Pendleton,  the  belle  of  the 

Blue  Mountains,  the  fairest  and  the  brightest  vision  that  has 
ever  warmed  my  fancy  !  How  faint  until  now  were  all  my 
conceptions  of  female  loveliness !  How  little  did  I  dream  of 
that  concentration  of  attractions,  that  intensity  of  excellence, 
that  combination  of  charms,  which  I  have  now  witnessed  ! 
How  many  excellent  qualities  have  I  this  day  seen  combined 
in  the  character  of  this  extraordinary  female — exquisite 
beauty,  superior  intelligence,  elegant  wit,  and  the  utmost 
sweetness  of  disposition !  Of  the  other  attributes  of  her 
mind  and  heart  I  am  ignorant ;  but  with  respect  to  those  that 
I  have  enumerated,  I  cannot  be  mistaken." 

If  the  reader  will  pardon  us  for  the  interruption,  we  suggest 
that  the  last  averment  savours  of  what  the  lawyers  call  sur- 
plusage. It  is  certainly  an  unnecessary  averment,  for  how 
could  a  young  gentleman  be  mistaken  in  such  plain  matters  1 
We  admire  the  argument  of  a  love-letter,  or  of  any  letter 
treating  of  the  mysteries  of  this  all-pervading  passion.  Let  us 
proceed  : 

"  You  will  no  doubt,  now,  take  it  into  your  wise  head 
that  I  am  in  love,  or  at  least  that  I  am  rapidly  imbibing  the 
delightful,  the  dangerous  poison.  Let  me  assure  you  seriously 
that  nothing  is  further  from  my  intentions.  I  have  already 
wooed  a  mistress,  under  whose  banner  I  am  enlisted..  Plighted 
to  the  service  of  my  country,  with  the  path  of  fame  bright 
before  me,  I  may  not  linger  in  the  bowers  of  pleasure.  Even 
Miss  Pendleton  has  no  charms  when  weighed  in  the  balance 


HARPK'SHEAD.  57 

against  my  duty.  But  why  should  I  speak  of  her  ?  la  pen- 
niless man,  unknown  to  fame. — a  needy  soldier,  depending  on 
ray  sword,  with  an  aged  mother  to  support  ?  And  she,  the 
'observed  of  all  observers,'  the  darling  of  her  friends,  the 
heiress  of  a  noble  fortune  !  It  is  painful  to  reflect  on  the  dis- 
parity between  us,  yet  dangerous  to  think  of  her  in  any  other 
light.  *  *  *  *  .  * 

"  To-morrow  morning  I  must  bid  adieu  to  Walnut  Hill, 
to  Miss  Pendleton,  and  to  the  generous-hearted  Major  Hey- 
ward.  When  I  left  Philadelphia,  to  rejoin  the  army  now 
encamped  in  the  wilderness  bordering  on  the  Ohio,  I  was  in- 
trusted with  despatches  for  General  Wayne.  At  my  earnest 
request  I  was  permitted  to  take  this  place  in  my  route,  and  to 
halt  one  day,  to  attend  to  my  own  personal  affairs,  but  was 
admonished  at  the  same  time,  that  as  the  letters  committed 
to  my  care  were  important,  any  further  delay  would  not  be 
allowed.  I  have,  therefore,  no  choice  ;  and  perhaps  it  is  well 
for  me  that  I  have  none.  Virginia  Pendleton  is  not  a  common 
woman,  and  it  would  be  madness  for  me  to  remain  within  the 
magic  circle  of  her  attractions." 

At  the  very  moment  that  Mr.  Fennimore  was  inditing 
these  amorous  and  heroic  sentiments,  Miss  Pendleton  was 
seated  at  her  writing-desk,  penning  a  note  to  her  bosom  friend, 
Mrs.  Mountford,  a  young  lady  recently  married.  The  ideas 
of  the  fair  writer  ran  off"  in  the  following  strain  : 

"I  am  sorry,  my  dear  Caroline,  that  you  were  not  with  us 
to-day  ;  we  had  such  a  delightful  party  !  You  cannot  think 
how  much  I  regretted  your  absence,  nor  how  much  you  lost 
by  it.  The  weather  was  very  agreeable,  and  the  scenery  of 
the  river-shore  and  the  mountains  was  never  more  beautiful 
than  at  this  moment.  The  arrangements  were  charming.  I 
think  I  never  saw  a  barbecue  pass  off  so  happily.  There  was 
no  shower,  nor  any  disastrous  accident,  excepting  the  up- 
setting of  a  canoe,  by  which  nobody  was  hurt.  Mrs.  Lee 
superintended  the  preparation  of  the  dinner  with  her  usual 


58  LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 

taste  ;  General  Armour  had  a  new  story  for  the  occasion  ;  the 
Pevtons  had  new  bonnets ;  and  we  had  a  new  beau.  The 
latter  made  quite  a  sensation  among  the  girls,  and  1  have  no 
doubt  I  shall  have  a  dozen  morning  visitors  to-morrow,  for 
he  is  staying  with  us.  Can  you  guess  who  it  is  ?  If  you  can- 
not, you  must  remain  in  the  dark,  for  I  can  give  you  little 
assistance.  He  is  a  young  officer,  just  dropped  into  our 
neighbourhood  from  the  moon,  or  from  the  frontier,  or  from 
some  other  parts  unknown.  He  is  at  our  house,  so  that  I 
have  the  honour  of  entertaining  him.  He  is  not  at  all  hand- 
some, though  I  think  him  clever. 

"  I  shall  not  be  able,  dear  Caroline,  to  spend  to-morrow 
evening  with  you,  as  1  proposed,  for  my  uncle  cannot  accom- 
pany me,  and  you  know  I  am  unwilling  to  leave  him  alone. 
Mr.  Fennimore,  our  guest,  will  remain,  1  suppose,  some  days 
with  us,  and  although  his  visit  is  entirely  to  my  uncle,  and  on 
business,  I  must,  as  in  duty  bound,  make  my  appearance  as 
lady  of  the  mansion,  and  do  the  honours  to  the  best  of  my 
poor  ability.  Mr.  Fennimore  has  travelled  a  good  deal, 
and  is  quite  intelligent ;  I  think  you  would  be  pleased  with 
him. 

"  Do  come  and  dine  with  me  to-morrow — you  and  Mr. 

M .  If  you  are  still  determined  on  taking  that  dreadful 

journey  over  the  mountains,  it  may  be  useful  to  you  to  see 
Mr.  Fennimore,  who  is  just  from  -that  country,  and  can  tell 
you  all  about  it.  He  is  remarkably  agreeable  in  conver- 
sation ;  I  am  very  sure  you  will  like  him." 

Having  sealed  this  note,  Virginia  retired  to  repose,  and 
was  soon  wrapped  in  that  calm  forgetfulness  which  attends 
the  slumbers  of  the  young  and  innocent.  About  midnight 
she  was  awakened  by  the  terrific  cry  of  "  fire !"  Springing 
to  the  floor,  she  hastily  threw  a  cloak  around  her,  and  rushed 
to  the  chamber-door,  but  as  she  opened  it,  a  thick  volume  of 
smoke  burst  in,  and  she  beheld  with  affright  a  sheet  of  flame 
enveloping  the  whole  staircase  ;  retreat  in  that  direction  was 


HARPE'SHEAD.  59 

impossible.  She  had  the  presence  of  mind  to  close  the  door, 
and  recollecting  that  the  roof  of  a  piazza  extended  under  her 
window,  she  determined  to  make  her  escape  that  way.  But 
here  an  object  met  her  view,  more  terrible  than  the  devouring 
element:  the  shoulders  and  head  of  a  man  of  most  hideous 
appearance  occupied  the  window  to  which  she  was  approach- 
ing. The  face  was  larger  than  common,  and,  to  her  excited 
imagination,  seemed  of  superhuman  dimensions.  The  com- 
plexion was  sanguine,  and  its  redness  heightened  by  the  glare 
of  the  fire ;  the  features  were  harsh  and  savage  ;  a  beard  of 
several  weeks'  growth  covered  the  lower  part  of  the  face  ; 
while  the  uncovered  head  displayed  an  immense  mass  of  tan- 
gled, coarse  red  hair.  The  malignant  eye  that  scowled  upon  her 
was  full  of  savage  ferocity,  and  a  demoniac  laugh  which  dis- 
tended the  mouth  of  this  human  monster,  conveyed  to  the 
affrighted  girl  a  sensation  of  horror,  such  as  she  had  never 
before' experienced.  A  single  glance  told  her  that  the  ap- 
parition was  not  imaginary,  that  the  form  was  that  of  a 
stranger,  and  that  the  purpose  of  his  visit  was  sinister.  But 
Virginia  was  of  an  heroic  mould — she  neither  screamed  nor 
fainted,  but  summoning  all  her  resolution,  turned  towards  a 
window  in  the  opposite  direction,  and  was  retreating,  when 
Fennimore  entered  the  chamber,  having  clambered  up  the 
blazing  staircase  at  the  risk  of  his  life. 

"  Fly,  fly  !  Miss  Pendleton !"  he  exclaimed,  as  he  caught 
her  hands,  and  drew  her  towards  the  same  window  at  which 
she  had  seen  the  object  of  her  terror. 

"  Oh,  not  there  !  not  there !"  she  cried  ;  "  stop,  for  mercy's 
sake,  we  shall  all  be  murdered  !" 

Fennimore,  attributing  her  incoherent  expressions  to  an 
excess  of  terror  caused  by  the  fire,  delayed  not ;  but  catching 
her  up  in  his  arms,  proceeded  towards  the  window. 

Virginia  uttered  a  piercing  shriek,  and  struggled  to  release 
herself. 

"  Pardon  me,"  said  Fennimore  ;  "  excuse  my  rudeness," 


60  LEGENDS   OF   THE    WEST. 

as  he  threw  up  the  window,  and  passed  through  it  with  his 
lovely  burthen.  In  a  moment  he  stood  on  the  roof  of  the 
piazza. 

"  See  there  !"  screamed  Virginia,  as  her  eye  caught  a 
glimpse  of  the  figure  of  a  man  stealing  behind  a  distant 
chimney.  "  Oh  fly,  Mr.  Fennimore  !  hasten  from  this  dread- 
ful spot." 

Fennimore  involuntarily  turned  his  head  in  the  direction 
indicated,  and  saw  a  man  leaning  against  the  chimney.  He 
looked  again  and  the  figure  had  disappeared. 

The  servants,  who  were  filled  with  consternation,  and 
crowded  round  the  blazing  pile,  running  to  and  fro  without 
order  or  definite  purpose,  now  beheld  them  and  hastened  to 
their  assistance.  One  of  the  stoutest  negroes  mounting  on  a 
table  under  the  eaves  of  the  low  roof  was  enabled  to  receive 
his  young  mistress  in  his  arms,  while  Fennimore  leaped 
nimbly  to  the  ground. 

No  sooner  was  Virginia  in  safety  than  she  looked  round 
for  her  uncle,  and  not  perceiving  him  in  the  crowd  that 
pressed  round  to  congratulate  her  on  her  escape,  eagerly  in- 
quired for  him.  The  negroes,  habitually  indolent,  timid,  and 
thoughtless,  stood  gazing  in  terror  on  the  conflagration  with- 
out thinking  on  the  possibility  of  extinguishing  the  flames  or 
of  rescuing  either  life  or  property.  But  they  loved  their 
master,  and  when  his  name  was  mentioned  made  a  general 
movement  towards  his  apartment.  In  a  moment  the  voice  of 
Fennimore  was  heard  like  that  of  one  accustomed  to  com- 
mand, leading  and  directing  them.  The  passive  blacks,  used 
to  implicit  obedience,  followed  him  with  alacrity  ;  but  it  was 
all  in  vain.  The  fire  seemed  to  have  originated  in  Major 
Hey  ward's  chamber,  and  the  flames  were  bursting  from  every 
window.  Fennimore  burst  open  a  door  and  rushed  in,  but 
was  speedily  driven  out  by  a  volume  of  smoke  and  flame. 
'Follow  me!"  he  exclaimed  impatiently  to  the  blacks; 
"  rush  in  and  save  your  master !"  and  again  he  entered  the 


HARPE'S   HEAD.  61 

apartment  with  some  of  the  most  intrepid  of  the  negroes. 
Their  efforts  were  herculean.  Several  times  they  had  nearly 
reached  the  bed,  and  as  ofteri  were  driven  back  by  the  flames  ; 
and  the  negroes  at  last  returned,  dragging  out  Mr.  Fennimore. 
who  was  struck  down  by  a  falling  rafter.  Exposure  to  the 
cool  air  revived  him  instantly,  and  he  returned  with  desperate 
courage  to  the  room,  exclaiming,  "  Follow  me  !  in  there  !  in, 
my  brave  boys !"  It  was  a  forlorn  hope,  but  the  effort  was 
gigantic.  The  negroes,  attached  to  their  master  and  excited 
,  by  the  heroic  bearing  of  their  young  leader,  now  worked  as 
if  in  their  native  element.  The  side  of  the  house,  which  was 
of  frame,  was  torn  away,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  lifeless 
body  of  Major  Hey  ward  was  dragged  out  of  the  ruins. 

By  this  time  the  whole  pile  was  in  flames.  There  was  no 
longer  any  occasion  for  exertions,  except  in  removing  the 
furniture  from  some  of  the  apartments.  The  neighbours,  who 
began  to  arrive,  and  the  domestics,  stood  round  in  silence. 
Virginia  hung  in  mute  agony  over  the  body  of  Major  Hey- 
ward,  who  had  been  to  her  more  than  a  father.  Nor  was 
she  alone  in  her  sorrow.  Though  none  of  those  around  her 
were  possessed  of  sensibilities  as  keen  as  her  own,  or  had  the 
same  personal  cause  for  grief,  yet  the  respect  and  affection 
entertained  by  all  for  the  worthy  old  man,  and  the  awful 
manner  of  his  death,  caused  universal  sorrow.  At  length  the 
flames  began  to  sink ;  Virginia  was  torn  almost  by  force 
from  the  "spot,  and  carried  to  the  house  of  her  friend  Mrs. 
Mountford  ;  the  neighbours  dispersed ;  darkness  and  silence 
settled  over  the  spot,  and  a  heap  of  smoking  ruins  occupied 
the  place  which  was  so  lately  the  seat  of  hospitality  and 
cheerfulness. 


C2 


LEGENDS    OF    THE    WEST. 


CHAPTER   VI. 

THE  whole  neighbourhood  assembled  at  the  funeral  of 
Major  Heyward,  and  it  was  a  melancholy  sight  to  behold 
the  same  individuals,  who  but  two  days  before  had  mingled 
together  on  a  festive  occasion,  now  collected  to  pay  the  last 
sad  duties  to  one  of  the  most  conspicuous  of  the  number. 
The  feelings  excited  by  this  reflection  were  rendered  the  more 
vivid  by  the  awful  nature  of  the  catastrophe  which  had 
occurred ;  and  as  the  sad  procession  moved  silently  away  to 
the  family  burial-place,  an  uninterrupted  silence  pervaded 
the  company.  The  deceased  had  been  universally  loved  and 
respected.  His  age,  his  wealth,  and  his  standing  in  society, 
had  given  him  an  influence  over  those  around  him,  which  had 
been  honestly  and  kindly  exercised,  and  although  he  held  no 
official  station,  it  was  felt  that  his  decease  was  a  public  loss. 
Another  must  inherit  his  wealth  and  sway  its  influence  ;  but 
would  his  conciliatory  spirit  descend  to  his  heir,  and  his 
virtues  be  practised  by  the  inheritor  of  his  estate1?  Such 
were  the  mingled  sensations  of  those  who  followed  the 
remains  of  this  most  excellent  man  to  their  last  earthly  re- 
ceptacle. 

But  that  intensity  of  feeling  which,  on  the  occurrence  of 
an  unexpected  and  strikingly  melancholy  event,  absorbs  for 
a  while  all  other  subjects,  and  employs  every  faculty  of  the 
mind,  is  of  brief  continuance.  The  practice  observed  at 
military  funerals,  of  marching  to  the  grave  with  solemn 


HARPE'S  HEAD. 


music,  and  returning  from  it  with  cheerful,  inspiring  notes,  is 
natural,  and  beautifully  expressive  of  human  character;  for 
it  is  thus  that  the  heart  of  man  throws  off  the  burthen  of 
sorrow,  and  though  bowed  low  for  the  moment,  regains  its 
cheerfulness,  as  the  flower,  weighed  down  by  the  morning 
dew,  erects  itself  as  the  sun  exhales  the  incumbent  moisture. 
As  the  mourners  retired  from  the  grave,  the  silence  which  had 
prevailed  among  them  began  to  be  broken,  and  curiosity, 
which  had  heretofore  been  suppressed  by  grief  and  astonish- 
ment, became  audible.  A  thousand  surmises  and  reports, 
touching  the  fatal  accident,  were  repeated  and  canvassed. 
Every  one  had  his  own  version  of  the  catastrophe,  and  its 
attendant  circumstances. 

"  Have  you  heard  the  particulars "?"  inquired  an  old  lady, 
in  a  tremulous  tone,  and  conveying  the  remainder  of  the 
inquiry  by  a  mysterious  shake  of  the  head. 

The  person  addressed  applied  her  handkerchief  to  her 
eyes,  and  only  ejaculated  the  words,  "  Too  shocking !" 

"  One  hardly  knows  what  to  believe,  there  are  so  many 
stories,"  said  an  old  maid. 

"  I  am  told,"  said  a  gentleman,  "  that  our  lamented  friend 
has  lately  been  in  the  habit  of  reading  in  bed,  and  it  is  sup- 
posed, that,  having  received  some  letters,  which  he  had  not 
had  time  to  examine  sooner,  he  had  caused  a  light  to  be 
placed  by  his  bed-side " 

"  All  a  mistake,"  cried  Colonel  Antler,  "  no  man  of  sense 
ever  went  to  bed  to  read  letters ;  my  worthy  friend  rose  at 
daybreak,  and  retired  early  to  his  pillow  for  repose." 

"  He  was  a  man  of  plethoric  habit,"  said  a  consumptive 
gentleman,  who  now  intruded  his  ghostly  form  between  the 
last  two  speakers,  "  very  plethoric — and  you  know,  gentle- 
men, that  such  persons  hold  their  lives  by  a  very  uncertain 
tenure.  Your  full-fed,  lusty,  corpulent  men  are  short-lived 
at  best,  and  subject  to  very  sudden  attacks.  There  Is  very 
little  doubt  that  this  was  a  case  of  apoplexy,  and  that,  in  his 


64  LEGENDS   OF   THE   WKST. 

struggles,  a  candle,  that  happened  to  be  within  reach,  was 
thrown  over " 

"  That  is  all  surmise,"  said  another  speaker. 

"  Mere  surmise,"  rejoined  yet  another ;  "  the  truth  seems 
to  be,  that  when  Major  Heyward  was  last  seen  by  his 
servants,  he  was  sitting  at  a  table  covered  with  papers,  in  his 
arm-chair,  with  his  spectacles  on 

"  I  am  sure  that  you  must  be  misinformed,"  cried  a  lady, 
"  for  Mrs.  Lee,  who  is  very  intimate  with  the  family,  assured 
me  that  he  had  gone  to  bed  fully  two  hours  before  the  alarm 
took  place." 

"  I  spoke  to  the  Major's  body-servant,  this  morning,"  said 
Colonel  Antler. 

"  Oh  !  did  you  ?" 

"Then  you  know  all  about  it !" 

"  Major  Heyward  and  Mr.  Fennimore,  the  young  gentle- 
man who  was  on  a  visit  there,  had  some  private  business,  and 
retired  to  the  Major's  chamber  after  tea " 

"  There  !"  cried  a  lady,  "  that  is  just  what  I  heard.  The 
business  was  of  a  very  mysterious  character,  was  it  not, 
Colonel  ?" 

"  I  cannot  say  as  to  that." 

"  But  did  you  not  hear  that  both  the  gentlemen  became 
very  much  irritated,  and  got  to  such  high  words  that  Virginia 
Pendleton,  becoming  very  much  alarmed,  rushed  into  the 
room  just  as  Major  Heyward  ordered  the  young  man  to  leave 
his  house  instantly  ?" 

"  No,  madam,  I  did  not  hear  that ;  and  I  am  very  certain 
that  Major  Heyward  never  ordered  a  stranger  to  leave  his 
house  in  the  night." 

"But,  my  dear  sir,  if  he  suspected  the  stranger  of  a  design 
to  rob  and  murder  him  ?" 

"  That,  indeed,  would  alter  the  case." 

"  Well,  I  assure  you,  sir,  I  had  it  from  a  lady  who  heard  it 
from  a  particular  friend  of  the  Walnut-Hill  family,  and  that 


HARPE'SHEAD.  65 

when  this  Mr.  Fennimore  arrived,  Major  Heyward  received 
him  with  great  coldness,  and  was  very  unwilling  to  permit 
him  to  stay  all  night." 

"  Yet  he  introduced  him  to  us  the  next  day  as  his  friend." 

"  That  was  very  singular,"  said  the  old  maid. 

"An  act  of  wonderful  imprudence  in  our  benevolent  friend 
who  is  gone,"  said  the  consumptive  gentleman. 

"  It  is  quite  mysterious,  I  declare."  continued  the  lady,  "  but 
I  am  sure  I  cannot  be  mistaken — Major  Heyward  and  Miss 
Pendleton  was  sitting  at  tea,  in  the  front  piazza,  when  the 
stranger  rode  up  :  '  Is  your  name  Heyward  ?'  said  he.  '  That 
is  my  name,'  said  the  Major.  '  I  have  some  business  with 
you,'  said  the  stranger.  '  We  will  talk  of  business  when  I 
have  nothing  else  to  do — you  must  call  again,' — replied  the 
Major." 

"I  heard  it  a  little  differently,"  interrupted  another  lady — 
"  Major  Heyward  was  walking  on  the  lawn,  and  Miss  Pendle- 
ton was  sitting  in  the  piazza,  talking  with  George  Lee,  (you 
know  they  are  to  be  married  soon,)  when  the  stranger  rode 
up,  and  inquired  where  Major  Heyward  lived ;  the  old  gen- 
tleman replied,  '  That  is  the  house,  and  I  am  the  man  ;'  on 
which  the  stranger  remarked,  '  Not  a  bad-looking  house,  and 
quite  a  pleasant  landlord  ; — I  believe  I'll  stay  all  night.' " 

"  The  impudent  rascal !"  exclaimed  the  consumptive  gen- 
tleman. ^^ 

"  He  has  a  forward  look,"  responded  the  old  maid. 

"  I  am  sure  you  are  mistaken,"  said  one  of  the  former 
speakers ;  "  for  Mr.  Lee  does  not  go  there  now  ;  there  is  quite 
a  serious  coolness  between  the  families." 

"  Dear  me,  cousin  !  I'm  sure  you  are  altogether  wrong 
there — if  you  had  seen  them  at  the  barbecue,  you  would  not 
have  said  that.  Virginia  refused  to  dance  with  any  one  else; 
she  refused  several  others,  but  danced  with  him  as  soon  as  he 
asked  her." 

"  Straws  show  how  the  wind  blows." 


66  LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 

"  I  believe  you  are  right  there ;  there  has  always  been  a 
strong  attachment  between  them." 

"  Say  rather  a  powerful  attraction  between  Walnut  Hill 
and  Locust  Grove.  The  estates  are  large,  and  we  all  know 
what  an  excellent  manager  Mrs.  Lee  is." 

"  Did  you  not  hear  it  surmised  that  Major  Hey  ward  has 
latterly  entertained  different  views  for  Virginia,  and  that  Mr. 
Fennimore  is  the  son  of  a  wealthy  merchant  in  Philadelphia, 
and  came  by  express  invitation  to  see  Miss  Pendleton?" 

"La!  no!" 

"  Yes,  indeed,  it  is  more  than  suspected." 

"  Well,  who  would  have  thought  it1?" 

"  Then  it  was  to  marry  Miss  Pendleton,  and  not  to  murder 
and  rob  the  family,  that  this  young  gentleman  came  f  said 
Colonel  Antler. 

"  Oh — I  had  forgotten  that.  I  am  sure  that  this  Fenni- 
more is  nothing  more  nor  less  than  an  incendiary — for  I  am 
told  that  Virginia,  who  was  in  a  high  fever,  and  delirious  all 
the  next  day,  continually  exclaimed,  '  Take  away  that  dread- 
ful man  !  protect  me  from  that  horrid  wretch !  He  has  mur- 
dered my  uncle — he  would  destroy  us  all  !'  and  similar  ex- 
pressions." 

"  Very  strange,  that !  she  certainly  must  know  some- 
thing." 

"The  evidence  of  a  young  lady  in  a  state  of  delirium  is 
quite  conclusive,"  remarked  Colonel  Antler,  drily. 

"  It  is  certainly  a  curious  fact,"  said  one  of  the  gentlemen, 
"  that  this  Mr.  Fennimore  has  entirely  disappeared  since  the 
fire,  and  that  no  one  can  give  any  account  of  him." 

Colonel  Antler  seemed  puzzled,  while  the  rest  of  the  com- 
pany united  in  considering  this  circumstance  as  one  of  a  most 
suspicious  character. 

"  The  young  man  is  a  stranger  to  me,"  said  the  Ccolonel ; 

"  he  may  be  a  terrible  fellow,  for  any  thing  I  know but  at 

the  same  time,  I  don't  believe  a  word  of  it.  He  looks  like  a 


HARPE'SHEAD.  67 

gentleman,  and  no  one  ever  heard  of  a  gentleman  committing 
arson." 

"Then  you  do  not  believe  that  he  fired  the  house  pur- 
posely ?" 

"Believe  it!  no:  why  should  I  believe  it?  what  object 
could  the  young  man  have?" 

"  His  purpose  was  undoubtedly  to  run  off  with  Virginia. 
Incendiaries  often  set  fire  to  houses  in  order  to  plunder  them 
during  the  confusion.  They  say  that  as  soon  as  the  alarm  was 
given  he  rushed  into  Virginia's  apartment,  caught  her  in  his 
arms,  and  although  she  screamed  dreadfully,  attempted  to 
carry  her  off." 

"  And  what  prevented  him  ?" 

•  "  They  say  he  forced  her  through  a  window,.and  succeeded 
in  reaching  the  roof  of  the  piazza,  where  one  of  his  confeder- 
ates was  waiting  to  assist  him  in  his  villainous  design,  when 
the  screams  of  Virginia  drew  the  negroes  to  her  relief,  and 
they  rescued  her." 

"  Poor  Virginia  screaming  bloody  murder  all  the  while," 
continued  the  consumptive  gentleman. 

"  Poor  Virginia  !"  echoed  all  the  ladies. 

"  I  am  told,  Colonel  Antler,  that  no  will  can  be  found." 

"All  exertions  to  discover  any  trace  of  a  will,  have,  unhap- 
pily, been  fruitless.  Every  gentleman  who  has  been  on  such 
terms  of  intimacy  with  Major  Hey  ward,  as  to  render  it  likely 
that  a  document  of  that  kind  might  have  been  deposited  with 
him,  has  been  applied  to  in  vain.  .  Mr.  R.,  who  has  been  his 
legal  adviser  for  many  years,  declares  that  a  will  was  executed 
long  since,  which  he  is  sure  remained  in  the  possession  of  our 
lamented  friend,  but  declines  giving  any  information  as  to  the 
contents." 

"  Then  Miss  Pendleton  will  not  be  a  great  fortune,  after  all." 

"  Oh  dear,  what  a  pity  !" 

"Such  a  belle  as  she  was!"  exclaimed  one  of  the  old 
maids ;  "  I  wonder  if  she  will  be  as  much  admired  now." 


68  LEGENDS    OF    THK    WEST. 

"  Poor  cousin  Virginia  !" 

"Dear  Virginia!  how  I  feel  for  her!  But  you  know, 
Colonel,  she  had  no  right  to  expect  any  thing  else.  She  is 
not  related  to  the  Hey  wards,  and  there  are  a  number  of  heirs- 
at-law." 

"  She  had  a  right,  madam  !"  replied  Colonel  Antler, 
warmly  ;  "  if  not  related  to  Major  Hey  ward,  she  is  niece  to 
the  late  Mrs.  Heyward,  and  their  adopted  daughter.  Major 
Heyward's  intention  of  leaving  his  whole  fortune  to  her  has 
been  declared  so  frequently,  and  is  so  well  understood,  that 
no  man  of  honour  will  dispute  her  claim." 

"  There  will  be  claimants,  I  suppose,  nevertheless." 

"  Then  they  ought  all  to  be " 

"  Speak  lower,  Colonel :  there  are  some  of  them  within 
hearing." 

"  I  care  not  who  hears  me.  The  girl  was  raised  under 
Heyward's  roof,  and  is  entitled  to  the  estate  ;  and  no  true  son 
of  the  Old  Dominion  would  take  it  from  her." 

The  conversation  was  here  interrupted  by  the  approach  of 
Mrs.  Lee's  carriage,  containing  that  lady  and  the  unhappy 
Virginia.  As  the  beautiful  mourner  passed  slowly  along,  a 
common  feeling  of -sympathy  for  the  sudden  and  melancholy 
stroke  of  fortune,  which  had  in  a  single  moment  blighted  her 
brilliant  prospects  and  reduced  her  to  sorrow  and  depend- 
ence, pervaded  the  whole  party  ;  and  dropping  off,  one  by 
one,  they  repaired  silently  to  their  respective  dwellings. 


HARPE'SHEAD.  69 


CHAPTEE    VII. 

ON  the  following  morning,  at  an  early  hour,  Mrs.  Lee 
visited  the  distressed  Virginia,  who  was  now  more  com- 
posed ;  and  the  worthy  lady  successfully  exerted  her  talents 
in  endeavouring  to  calm  the  mind  and  fortify  the  courage  of 
her  young  friend.  Although  artful  and  politic,  she  was  really 
a  benevolent  woman,  in  all  cases  where  the  interests  of  others 
did  not  interfere  with  her  own  ;  and  being  sincerely  attached 
to  Virginia,  she  now  devoted  herself  assiduously  to  the  task 
of  administering  comfort  to  the  mourner.  Her  common  sense, 
her  practical  business  habits,  and  that  delicate  perception  of 
propriety  in  matters  of  feeling,  which  all  women  possess  in  a 
greater  or  less,  degree,  enabled  her  to  do  this  with  much 
effect ;  and,  after  leading  Miss  Pendleton  into  the  garden, 
where  they  could  converse  without  interruption,  she  began  to 
speak  in  a  kind  and  rational  manner  of  that  young  lady's 
prospects,  and,  carefully  avoiding  those  topics  which  wrould  be 
merely  calculated  to  awaken  sensibility,  soon  engaged  her  in 
earnest  consultation.  Virginia  acknowledged  that  Major 
Heyward  had  more  than  once  assured  her,  that,  on  his  death, 
she  would  inherit  his  estate,  but  he  had  never  mentioned  his 
will  in  her  presence,  nor  did  she  know  whether  he  had  ever 
executed  such  an  instrument. 

"  On  that  subject,"  said  Mrs.  Lee,  "  my  own  information 
is  more  accurate.  Knowing  the  determination  of  my  excel- 
lent friend  t^  make  you  the  sole  heiress  of  his  property,  I 


70  LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 

repeatedly  hinted  to  him  the  necessity  of  making  a  will,  and 
the  propriety  of  performing  this  duty  without  delay,  and  in 
the  most  careful  manner.  He  afterwards  informed  me  that 
it  was  duly  executed.  I  have  no  doubt,  my  dear  Virginia, 
that  my  evidence,  with  that  of  the  gentleman  who  wrote  the 
will,  and  of  the  witnesses  to  its  execution,  will  restore  you  to 
your  rights." 

"  Do  not  speak  of  that,"  replied  Virginia  firmly  ;  "  o.wing 
every  thing,  as  I  do,  to  the  benevolence  of  my  uncle,  I  should 
be  most  ungrateful  to  appear  in  a  court  of  justice,  engaged 
in  a  contest  with  his  legal  heirs." 

"My  dear  Virginia,  how  often  have  I  reminded  you,  that 
feeling  is  a  deceitful  guide  in  the  serious  concerns  of  life ! 
You  are  no  longer  a  young  girl,  protected  by  a  fond  guardian, 
and  sporting  in  the  beams  of  affluence,  without  any  other  care 
than  that  of  imparting  to  others  a  share  of  the  happiness 
which  you  enjoyed  yourself.  You  are  now  a  woman,  your 
own  mistress,  having  duties  to  perform  and  rights  to  assert ; 
and  you  cannot,  my  dear,  testify  your  respect  for  the  memory 
of  Major  Hey  ward  more  suitably  than  by  insisting  upon 
the  exact  execution  of  his  own  views  in  relation  to  his 
estate.  Besides,  are  you  aware  who  your  opponents  would 
be?" 

"  Indeed,  I  do  not  know  exactly — my  uncle  had  no  very 
near  relations." 

"  He  had  not,  but  a  great  many  who  are  very  distant ; 
and  the  embers  will  hardly  be  cold  on  his  ruined  hearthstone, 
before  a  number  of  claimants  will  be  fiercely  engaged  in 
litigation  for  this  noble  estate." 

Virginia  melted  to  tears.  Contending  emotions  of  pride 
and  affection  for  the  dead  swelled  her  heart.  A  number  of 
affecting  associations  arose  in  her  memory,  and  the  thought 
that  the  spot  which  had  so  long  been  the  abode  of  peace, 
happiness,  and  hospitality,  was  about  to  become  the  scene  of 
bitter  contention,  filled  her  mind  with  sorrow.  "  Dear  Mrs. 


II  A  R  PE  '  S     II  EA  D.  71 

Lee !"  she  exclaimed,  "  I  shall  never  be  a  party  to  so  dis- 
graceful a  contest.  Oh,  no  !  never,  never  !" 

"  I  venerate  your  affection  for  the  memory  of  Major  Hey- 
ward,"  replied  her  friend,  calmly  :  "  it  is  natural,  and  perfectly 
right.  But,  my  dear,  what  obligation*  do  you  owe  to  his 
relations  1" 

"  None,  particularly.  They  have  always  treated  me  with 
respect  and  cordiality." 

"  Except  in  a  few  instances,"  urged  the  politic  Mrs.  Lee, 
in  an  insinuating  manner.  "  Openly  they  could  not  do  other- 
wise, for  the  very  stones  would  have  cried  out  at  the  slightest 
incivility  to  the  dear  girl  that  we  all  loved  and  admired  so 
much.  Besides,  you  were  the  presumptive  heiress  of  a  fine 
estate,  and,  as  mistress  of  your  uncle's  mansion,  dispensed  its 
hospitalities.  But  you  forget  that  you  have  sometimes  been 
charged  with  holding  your  head  higher  than  became  you,  and 
with  having  used  some  address  in  procuring  the  execution  of 
this  very  will.  Even  I  have  been  accused  of  interested  mo- 
tives in  my  exertions  on  your  behalf." 

Virginia  turned  pale  with  emotion,  and  that  spirit,  which 
on  some  occasions  animated  her  heart,  and  gave  a  surprising 
degree  of  decision  and  vigour  to  the  conceptions  of  her  mind, 
flashed  for  a  moment  in  her  eye.  But  the  sensibility  of  a 
delicate  mind  overcame  all  other  feelings.  Unconscious  of  a 
sordid  motive,  she  shrunk  with  indescribable  repugnance 
from  the  thought  of  encountering  a  suspicion  of  that  descrip- 
tion, and  begged  Mrs.  Lee  to  change  the  subject. 

"  You  have  now,"  said  she,  "  given  the  strongest  reason 
why  I  should  not  set  up  any  claim  to  this  property.  The 
bare  idea  of  having  ever  been  suspected  of  entertaining  the 
interested  views  at  which  you  hint,  is  too  shocking.  Not  for 
worlds  would  I  do  an  act,  or  give  the  sanction  of  my  name 
to  any  proceeding,  which  might  bring  the  disinterestedness 
of  my  conduct  into  question,  or  throw  the  slightest  shade 
upon  the  purity  of  my  affection  for  my  dear  uncle.  Let  his 


72  LEGENDS    OF    THE    WEST. 

relatives  take  the  estate.  It  will  be  happiness  enough  for 
me  to  be  grateful  for  his  goodness  and  to  love  and  cherish 
his  memory." 

Mrs.  Lee  knew  well  the  decision  of  her  young  friend's 
character,  and,  aware  of  her  inflexibility  on  points  which 
involved  principle  or  touched  her  feelings  of  delicacy,  ^deter- 
mined, like  an  able  politician,  to  change  her  mode  of  attack, 
and  to  resort  to  arguments  which  she  had  before  resolved 
studiously  to  conceal.  And  the  manner  in  which  she  opened 
her  batteries  anew  was  after  the  following  fashion  : 

"There  are  two  claimants  to  this  property,  of  whose 
pretensions  you  are  probably  not  aware,  and  it  is  right  that 
you  should  be  informed  in  relation  to  them.  The  first  of 
these  is  my  son  George." 

"  Indeed  !  I  heartily  wish  my  cousin  George  success." 

"  Your  wishes,  my  dear,  are  not  his  own.  He  has  not  the 
slightest  disposition  or  the  most  remote  intention  to  set  up 
any  claim,  unless  it  may  become  necessary  for  your  interest. 
With  the  exception  of  one  person,  whom  I  will  presently 
name,  my  son  is  undoubtedly  the  nearest  relative  of  our 
deceased  friend.  There  are  several  others,  however,  who 
claim  to  stand  in  the  same  degree  of  consanguinity.  Now, 
what  I  would  suggest  is,  that  as  my  son  has  never  for  a 
moment  thought  of  placing  his  claim  in  competition  with 
yours,  you  might,  should  your  own  right  to  the  property  be 
thought  doubtful,  or  should  you  persist  in  refusing  to  assert 
it,  avail  yourself  of  his.  Understand  me,  my  dear — do  nofe 
get  impatient — all  that  I  propose  is  the  use  of  his  name, 
agency,  and  friendship,  to  procure  that  which  is  undoubtedly 
your  own ;  and  when  the  intimacy  between  our  families  is 
t considered— when  you  recollect  that  from  infancy  you  have 
shared  my  affection  with  him,  there  can  be  no  impropriety  in 
his  assuming  towards  you  the  place  of  a  brother.  I  have 
surely  some  claim,  my  dear  Virginia,  to  the  privilege  of  dis- 
charging towards  you  the  duties  of  a  mother ;  and  if  George 


HARPE'SHEAD.  73 

can  never  call  you  by  a  dearer  title,  you  may,  you  ought,  to 
give  him  the  confidence  and  affection  of  a  sister.  Confide  to 
us  the  management  of  your  affairs,  and  rest  assured  that  your 
name  shall  never  be  used  in  a  manner  that  shall  implicate 
your  delicacy." 

Virginia  was  affected  and  embarrassed.  There  was  a 
mixture  of  policy  and  of  genuine  affection  in  the  whole  con- 
versation of  her  friend,  so  characteristic  of  the  woman,  that  it 
touched  while  it  perplexed  her.  But  she  remained  firm  to 
her  purpose,  and  decidedly,  though  with  delicacy  and  feeling, 
declined  the  proposal.  Mrs.  Lee  was  puzzled,  but  not 
defeated.  She  now  artfully  alluded  to  the  magnitude  of  the 
estate,  and  to  the  almost  unbounded  influence  which  the  pos- 
session of  great  wealth  would  give  to  a  young  lady  who  was 
so  eminently  endowed  with  beauty,  intellect,  and  accomplish- 
ments, as  her  young  friend.  Failing  in  all  her  appeals  to  the 
affections  and  the  ambition  of  our  heroine,  she  now  determined 
to  awaken,  if  possible,  her  resentment. 

"  The  other  name,  which  I  have  withheld  out  of  respect 
for  your  feelings,  is  that  of  this  Mr.  Fennimore." 

Virginia  furned  upon  her  friend  a  mingled  look  of  surprise 
and  curiosity,  but  made  no  reply. 

"  He  is  more  nearly  related  to  the  late  Major  Heyward 
than  either  of  the  other  would-be  heirs ;  supposing  it  to  be 
possible  for  him  to  establish  his  identity  with  the  person 
whose  name  he  bears,  which  I  suspect  is  rather  doubtful." 

"  Can  you  suppose  it  possible  that  Mr.  Fennimore  would 
be  guilty  of  an  imposture1?" 

"  1  suppose  nothing,  my  dear ;  the  law  will  require  him  to 
prove  that  he  is  really  the  person  he  pretends  to  be ;  and 
this,  I  imagine,  will  not  be  in  his  power.  It  is  hinted,  more- 
over, that  being  aware  of  the  disposition  which  your  uncle 
had  made  of  his  property,  the  object  of  his  visit  at  Walnut 
Hill  was  to  induce  Major  Heyward  to  revoke  his  will,  and 
that,  failing  in  this,  he  has  possessed  himself  of  that  instru- 
4 


74  LEGENDS   OF   THE    WEST. 

ment,  by  means  of  which  we  have  all  witnessed  the  dreadful 
effects." 

Miss  Pendleton  became  dreadfully  pale  on  hearing  this 
insinuation.  The  allusion  to  the  melancholy  event  which 
had  deprived  her  of  a  home  and  a  protector  was  in  itself 
sufficiently  distressing,  but  the  foul  accusation  against  the 
handsome  stranger,  whose  image  was  associated  in  her  mind 
with  the  recollection  of  a  few  of  the  most  happy  hours  of  her 
life,  shocked  and  sickened  her  heart.  Determined  to  listen 
no  longer  to  what  she  could  not  consider  as  any  thing  but 
slander,  unwilling  to  offend  one  whose  schemes  in  relation  to 
herself  had  been  mingled  with  a  long  series  of  valuable  kind- 
nesses, and  dispirited  by  the  afflicting  troubles  which  seemed 
to  thicken  in  her  path,  and  to  add  new  embarrassments  to  her 
situation,  she  now  enjoined  her  friend  to  change  the  subject, 
in  tones  of  such  pathetic  supplication  as  left  no  room  for 
denial.  They  returned  to  the  house,  and  Mrs.  Lee  soon  after 
took  her  leave. 

To  prevent  further  importunity  on  the  subject  which  had 
so  greatly  distressed  her  feelings,  Miss  Pendleton  addressed 
a  note  to  Mrs.  Lee  on  the  following  morning,  informing  that 
lady  of  her  intention  to  accompany  her  friends,  the  Mount- 
fords,  in  their  proposed  journey  to  Kentucky,  to  which  country 
they  were  about  to  remove,  and  where  Virginia  had  an  uncle, 
who  had  more  than  once  invited  her  to  accept  a  home  under 
his  roof. 


HARPE'SHEAD.  75 


CHAPTER    VIII. 


A  FEW  weeks  subsequent  to  the  transactions  narrated  in 
the  last  chapter,  a  heavy  travelling-carriage  was  seen 
slowly  winding  its  way  among  the  mountains  of  the  Allegheny 
chain,  drawn  by  a  pair  of  tall  horses,  whose  fine  eyes  and 
muscular  limbs  bore  testimony,  to  an  experienced  observer, 
of  excellent  blood  and  gentle  breeding,  but  who  now  tottered 
along  galled,  raw-boned,  and  dispirited,  from  the  effects  of  a 
long  journey.  The  heavily  laden  vehicle  bore  also  incon- 
testable marks  of  rough  usage,  and  resembled  in  its  appearance 
a  noble  ship,  which,  having  been  dismantled  in  a  storm,  is 
brought  with  difficulty  into  port.  It  had  once  been  both 
strong  and  costly,  and  was  in  truth  one  of  the  most  elegant 
of  those  cumbrous  machines  which  were  used  by  such  of  our 
ancestors  as  were  sufficiently  wealthy  to  indulge  in  such  lux- 
uries, bearing  a  coat  of  arms  upon  its  panels  and  being  amply 
decorated  in  the  patrician  taste  of  that  day. 

A  journey  over  the  Allegheny  mountains,  then  inhabited 
only  at  distant  intervals,  and  wyhose  best  roads  were  mere 
bridle-paths,  beaten  by  the  feet  of  pack-horses  and  occasionally 
travelled  with  difficulty  by  wagons  carrying  merchandise, 
had  left  to  the  shattered  coach  but  few  vestiges  of  its  former 
splendour.  The  tongue,  which  had  been  broken,  was  replaced 
by  the  green  stem  of  a  young  tree,  hastily  hewed  out  of  the 
forest  for  the  purpose  ;  a  dislocation  of  one  of  the  springs  had 
been  remedied  by  passing  a  long  stout  pole  underneath  the 
body  of  the  -carriage;  and  a  shattered  axletree,  which  had 


76  LEGENDS  :OF  THE   WEST. 

been  spliced  repeatedly,  bent  and  creaked  under  its  load,  as 
if  every  revolution  of  the  wheels  would  be  the  last.  In 
matters  of  less  moment  the  havoc  had  been  even  greater. 
The  curtains,  by  frequent  and  rather  violent  collision  with  the 
overhanging  branches  of  the  forest,  had  been  rent  and  per- 
forated in  many  places,  and  the  straps  within  which  they  were 
usually  furled,  having  been  torn  away,  they  now  floated  in 
the  breeze  in  tattered  fragments  or  flapped  against  the  sides 
of  the  carriage  like  the  sails  of  a  vessel  in  a  calm  ;  while  a 
bough  had  occasionally  penetrated  so  far  as  to  tear  away  the 
velvet  lining  and  its  gaudy  fringe. 

Two  ladies,  both  of  whom  were  young,  and  a  female 
negro  servant,  occupied  this  weatherbeaten  conveyance ;  ac- 
companied, as  every  experienced  reader  will  readily  imagine, 
by  a  voluminous  store  of  trunks,  bandboxes,  baskets,  bags, 
and  bundles.  The  husband  of  one  of  these  ladies,  a  plain 
gentlemanly-looking  man  of  five-and-twenty  years  of  age, 
rode  in  advance  of  the  cavalcade  on  horseback,  encumbered 
with  no  other  appendage  than  a  brace  of  large  pistols  sus- 
pended across  his  saddle  in  a  pair  of  holsters. 

Then  came  a  train  of  wagons,  some  drawn  by  horses  and 
others  by  oxen,  carrying  household  furniture,  farming  imple- 
ments, and  provisions.  Behind  these  a  drove  of  horses  and 
cattle  stretched  along  the  mountain  path,  strolled  lazily 
forward,  halting  frequently  to  drink  at  the  clear  rivulets 
which  crossed  the  road,  or  straying  off  to  graze  wherever  an 
inviting  spot  of  green  offered  a  few  refreshing  mouthfuls  of 
herbage  to  the  wearied  animals.  Mingled  with  the  cavalcade 
or  lagging  in  the  rear,  was  a  large  company  of  negro  servants, 
men,  women,  and  children  of  every  age,  from  helpless  infancy 
to  hoary  decrepitude,  whistling  and  singing  and  laughing  as 
they  went,  inhaling  with  joy  the  mountain  air,  and  luxuriating 
in  the  happy  exchange  of  daily  labour  for  the  lighter  toils  of 
the  road. 

Such  were  the  retinue  and  appearance  of  a  wealthy  planter 


HAEPE'SHEAD.  77 

from  Virginia,  who  was  emigrating  with  all  his  family  and 
moveable  property  to  the  newly  settled  wilds  of  Kentucky, 
and  who  bore  no  small  resemblance  to  some  ancient  patri- 
arch, tiavc-lling  at  the  head  of  his  dependants  and  herds,  in 
search  of  wider  plains  and  fresher  pastures  than  were  afforded 
in  the  land  of  his  fathers.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mountford  and  the 
unfortunate  Miss  Pendleton  were  the  principal  persons  of  the 
party  which  we  have  attempted  to  describe,  and  whose  ad- 
ventures will  occupy  the  remainder  of  this  chapter. 

They  had  passed  nearly  all  the  ridges  of  those  formidable 
mountains,  and  were  now  looking  eagerly  forward  towards 
the  land  of  promise,  and  imagining  every  cliff  that  rose  before 
them  to  be  the  last.  The  day  was  drawing  to  a  close  when 
they  reached  the  summit  of  one  of  those  numerous  ridges 
which  compose  the  Allegheny  chain,  and  halted  for  a  few 
moments  to  rest  the  animals  who  were  panting  and  wearied 
with  the  toilsome  ascent.  Looking  forward,  they  beheld  be- 
fore them  a  deep  valley,  bounded  on  the  opposite  side  by  a 
range  of  mountains  as  steep  and  as  high  as  the  one  on  whose 
crest  they  were  now  reposing.  Its  sides  were  composed  of  a 
series  of  perpendicular  precipices  of  solid  rock,  clothed  with 
stinted  pines,  laurel,  and  other  evergreens,  and  which  at  this 
distance  seemed  to  oppose  an  impassable  barrier  to  the 
further  advance  of  the  travellers.  On  more  minute  exami- 
nation, parts  of  the  road  could  be  seen  winding  along  the  edge 
of  the  cliffs,  and  surmounting  the  ascent  by  a  variety  of  sharp 
angles.  A  troop  of  pack-horses,  with  their  large  panniers, 
were  seen  descending  by  this  path,  at  a  distance  so  great  as 
to  render  it  barely  possible  to  distinguish  their  forms  and  as- 
certain their  character — sometimes  stretched  in  an  extended 
line  along  the  summits  of  the  elevated  parapets  of  rock,  then 
disappearing  behind  a  projecting  cliff  or  a  copse  of  evergreen, 
and  again  turning  an  abrupt  angle,  as  if  countermarching  to 
retrace  their  footsteps.  The  sun  was  now  sinking  behind  the 
western  hills,  and  though  still  visible  to  our  travellers,  no 


78  LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 

longer  shone  upon  the  eastern  exposure  of  the  mountain 
which  they  were  contemplating,  a  circumstance  which  gave  a 
still  more  shadowy  appearance  to  the  descending  troop,  whose 
regular  array  of  slow-moving  figures  impressed  upon  the 
perpendicular  sides  of  the  cliffs,  resembled  the  airy  creations 
of  a  magic  lantern,  rather  than  the  forms  of  living  beings. 
Now  they  were  seen  traversing  the  extreme  verge  of  some 
bold  promontory,  where  the  sunbeams  flashed  from  the 
shining  harness,  and  afforded  a  momentary  disclosure  of  a 
variety  of  different  colours,  which  again  were  blended  into 
one  dark  mass  as  the  cavalcade  passed  on  into  the  deeper 
shades  of  the  mountain  glens.  As  they  gazed,  the  silence  was 
agreeably  broken  by  the  inspiring  notes  of  the  bugle,  with 
which  the  drivers  cheered  their  lonesome  way,  and  whose 
sprightly  sounds  echoed  from  hill  to  hill,  sometimes  faintly 
heard  and  sometimes  bursting  on  the  ear  in  full  chorus,  gave 
a  tinge  of  wild  romance  to  the  scene. 

From  the  contemplation  of  this  prospect,  their  attention 
was  drawn  to  the  western  side  of  the  mountain  on  whose  sum- 
mit they  stood,  and  whose  declivities  they  were  about  to 
descend.  Looking  downward,  they  saw  from  their  dizzy 
height  a  series  of  precipices,  with  bald  sides  and  turreted  and 
spiral  -crests,  terminating  in  a  dark  valley,  which  seemed  to 
be  almost  directly  below  their  feet,  although  the  distance  was 
so  great  as  to  render  it  impossible  to  distinguish  objects  in  the 
deep  abyss.  Here,  as  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  valley,  the 
path  wound  from  cliff  to  cliff,  and  from  one  natural  terrace  to 
another,  like  the  angles  of  a  winding  staircase  ;  but  little  of 
it  was  visible  from  the  spot  occupied  by  our  travellers.  In 
this  direction  the  sound  of  voices  was  heard  ascending  and 
approaching  nearer  and  nearer;  and  presently  a  large  drove  of 
cattle,  conducted  by  several  men,  was  seen  winding  along  the 
base  of  the  precipice  on  which  the  party  stood,  at  a  short  dis- 
tance from  them,  and  where  the  terrace  traversed  by  the  road 
widened  into  a  plain  surface  containing  saveral  acres.  Here 


HARPE'SHEAD.  79 

a  sudden  terror  seized  the  cattle.  The  foremost  of  the  ani- 
mals halted  and  began  to  smell  the  ground  with  manifesta- 
tions of  violent  agitation,  and  then  uttered  a  low  terrific  yell. 
At  this  signal  the  whole  herd,  which  had  been  loitering  drow- 
sily along,  urged  slowly  forward  by  the  voices  of  the  drovers, 
rushed  madly  towards  the  spot,  bellowing  with  every  appear- 
ance of  rage  and  affright.  In  vain  the  drivers  attempted  to 
force  them  onward.  The  largest  and  fiercest  of  the  herd  sur- 
rounded the  place  where  the  first  had  halted,  roaring,  pawing 
the  ground,  and  driving  their  horns  into  the  earth,  while  the 
others  approached  and  retreated,  bellowing  in  concert  as  if 
suddenly  possessed  by  a  legion  of  demons.  Foaming  at  the 
mouth,  their  eyes  gleaming  with  fury,  and  all  their  muscles 
strained  into  action,  they  seemed  a  different  race  from  the 
quiet,  inoffensive  animals  who  but  a  few  minutes  before  had 
been  seen  lazily  toiling  up  the  mountain-path.  Those  who 
were  intimately  acquainted  with  their  habits  at  once  pro- 
nounced that  blood  had  recently  been  spilt  in  the  road.  With 
the  assistance  of  Mr.  Mountford's  negroes,  the  alarmed  herd 
was  at  length  driven  forward,  but  not  until  one  of  the  drovers, 
in  leaping  his  horse  over  a  log,  at  some  distance  from  the 
road,  discovered  the  corpse  of  a  man  concealed  behind  it,  and 
partly  covered  with  leaves.  An  exclamation  of  surprise  and 
horror  announced  this  discovery,  and  drew  the  other  drovers 
to  the  spot,  where  Mr.  Mountford  soon  joined  them.  The 
body,  which  was  that  of  a  young  gentleman,  was  marked  with 
several  wounds,  which  left  little  doubt  that  a  murder  had  been 
committed. 

However  men  rnay  have  been  accustomed  to  danger  or 
to  scenes  of  violence,  there  is  something  in  the  crime  of  mur- 
der which  never  fails  to  alarm  and  shock  them.  Even  where 
the  injured  party  is  a  stranger,  and  no  particular  circumstances 
occur  to  awaken  special  sympathy  for  him  or  for  those  who 
may  survive  to  mourn  his  fate,  the  dreadful  act  itself,  stripped 
of  all  adventitious  horrors,  strikes  a  chill  into  the  heart. 


80  LEGENDS   OF   THE    WEST. 

When  such  a  scene  is  presented  in  the  solitary  wild,  where 
the  gloom  of  the  forest  and  the  silence  of  the  desert  are  all 
around,  and  the  quick  breathing  of  the  terrified  spectator  is 
whispered  back  by  the  woodland  echo,  a  deeper  shade  of  so- 
lemnity'is  thrown  about  the  melancholy  catastrophe.  The 
busy  crowds,  the  cares  and  levities  of  life,  are  not  there,  to 
call  away  the  heart  from  the  indulgence  of  natural  emotions ; 
it  has  leisure  to  contemplate  undisturbed  the  cold  image  of 
death,  and  to  reflect  on  the  atrocities  of  man.  Fancy  spreads 
her  wings  and  looks  abroad  in  search  of  the  perpetrator  and 
the  motive  of  the  crime,  and  the  absence  of  every  trace  which 
might  lead  to  discovery  or  explanation  involves  the  dark 
transaction  in  the  shadows  of  mystery.  The  deceased  seems 
to  have  been  struck  by  some  invisible  hand,  and  a  similar 
blow  may  be  impending  over  the  spectator,  on  whom  the  eye 
of  the  homicide  may  even  now  rest,  as  he  meditates  some 
new  violence  in  the  concealment  of  an  adjacent  thicket  or  the 
gloom  of  a  neighbouring  cavern. 

Such  were  the  meditations  of  some  of  the  party  who  were 
collected  around  the  body  of  the  murdered  stranger.  A  con- 
sultation was  immediately  held  as  to  the  course  which  ought 
to  be  pursued,  when  it  was  arranged  that  a  party  should  re- 
main with  the  corpse,  while  an  express  was  sent  to  the  nearest 
settlement  to  apprize  the  legal  authorities  of  the  outrage. 
Both  of  these  duties  were  cheerfully  undertaken  by  the 
drovers,  with  the  assistance  of  Mr.  Mountford's  servants.  The 
latter  gentleman  resumed  his  journey,  and  on  reaching  the 
bosom  of  the  valley,  and  learning  that  his  road  still  lay 
through  an  uninhabited  wilderness  for  many  miles,  determined 
to  encamp  here  for  the  night. 

It  was  an  inviting  spot.  Though  surrounded  by  moun- 
tains as  savage  and  sterile  as  the  imagination  can  well  con- 
ceive, the  glen  in  which  the  party  rested  was  beautiful  and 
fertile.  The  rich  soil  was  covered  with  a  luxuriant  growth  of 
forest  trees  and  shrubbery.  The  sunbeams,  which  during  the 


HARPE'SHEAD.  81 

day  had  been  reflected  from  the  bare  rocks  and  silicious  sands 
of  the  mountain,  afflicting  the  eyesight  of  the  travellers  by 
their  intense  brilliancy  or  overcoming  them  with  excessive 
heat,  were  now  intercepted  by  the  tall  summits  of  the  ridges 
lying  towards  the  west.  The  foliage  was  fresh  and  green,  and 
a  delightful  coolness  pervaded  the  atmosphere.  A  wide,  clear 
rivulet,  meandering  through  the  valley,  imparted  an  agreeable 
moisture  to  the  air,  and  invited  the  thirsty  herds  to  its  brink, 
while  it  afforded  more  than  one  luxury  and  convenience  to 
the  travellers.  By  the  margin  of  the  stream,  on  a  spot  trod- 
den hard  by  the  feet  of  successive  travellers,  who  had  been 
accustomed  to  encamp  here,  and  covered  with  a  short  green 
sward,  the  cavalcade  of  carriers  had  halted  and  were  unlading 
their  pack-horses ;  and  Mr.  Mountford,  passing  on,  chose  a 
similar  place  on  the  farther  side  of  the  rivulet.  The  arrange- 
ments for  encamping  were  soon  made.  Two  large  tents  were 
taken  from  the  wagons  and  pitched  for  the  accommodation  of 
Miss  Pendleton  and  her  friends,  on  a  plain  of  table-land  near 
the  brink  of  the  water-course.  In  the  rear  of  these,  smaller 
tents,  composed  of  coarser  materials,  were  arranged  for  the 
sable  troop  of  dependants.  A  large  fire  was  kindled  upon 
the  ground,  and  the  servants  began  to  prepare  a  substantial 
meal  for  the  hungry  party. 


LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 


CHAPTER   IX. 

HAVING  seen  the  tents  pitched,  the  horses  and  cattle  turned 
out  to  graze,  and  every  necessary  arrangement  made  for 
spending  the  night  in  as  much  comfort  as  circumstances  would 
admit,  Mr.  Mountford,  invited  by  the  refreshing  coolness  of 
the  evening  and  the  beauty  of  the  scenery,  proposed  to  the 
ladies  a  stroll  upon  the  bank  of  the  stream.  They  wandered 
slowly  along,  following  its  meanders  for  a  short  time,  until 
its  serpentine  course  brought  them  nearly  opposite  to  the 
point  from  which  they  had  set  out;  and  they  found  themselves 
on  a  projecting  point  which  overlooked  the  pack-horse  camp, 
and  placed  them  within  a  few  yards  of  its  noisy  inmates,  from 
whom  they  were  concealed  by  a  clump  of  underbrush.  The 
horses  had  been  unharnessed  and  were  now  grazing  at  large ; 
the  packs  of  merchandise  which  formed  their  lading  were 
piled  up  together  and  covered  with  canvass.  The  men  had 
thrown  themselves  lazily  on  the  grass,  except  two  or  three, 
who  were  wrestling  and  playing  with  a  degree  of  hilarity 
which  showed  how  little  they  were  affected  by  the  toils  of  the 
journey. 

At  this  moment  the  party  was  joined  by  a  horseman,  who 
addressed  them  with  the  frankness  of  an  acquaintance,  though 
he  was  obviously  a  stranger  to  them  all.  He  was  a  young  man, 
dressed  in  a  hunting-shirt,  carrying  a  rifle  on  his  shoulder,  and 
having  all  the  equipments  of  a  western  hunter.  His  limbs 
were  as  stout  and  his  face  as  sunburnt  as  those  of  the  rough 


HARPK'SHEAD.  83 

men  around  him,  but  neither  his  appearance  nor  carriage 
indicated  a  person  accustomed  to  coarse  labour.  He  had 
the  plainness  of  speech  and  manner  which  showed  that  his 
breeding  had  not  been  in  the  polished  circle,  mingled  with  the 
freedom  and  ease  of  one  accustomed  to  hunting  and  martial 
exercises.  He  threw  himself  from  his  horse,  leaving  the 
bridle  dangling  on  the  neck  of  the  animal,  who  quietly 
awaited  his  pleasure,  and  seated  himself  among  the  carriers 
with  the  air  of  one  who  felt  that  he  was  welcome,  or  who 
cared  but  little  whether  he  was  welcome  or  not.  His  dress, 
though  coarse  and  soiled,  was  neatly  fitted,  and  adapted  to 
show  off  his  person  to  the  best  advantage,  and  all  his  appen- 
dages were  those  of  a  young  man  who  had  some  pride  in  his 
appearance.  His  features,  though  not  handsome,  were  lively 
and  intelligent ;  indicating  a  cheerful  disposition,  a  good 
opinion  of  his  fellow-men,  and  an  equally  good  opinion  of 
himself,  arising,  no  doubt,  out  of  his  republican  principles, 
which  would  not  allow  him  to  place  himself  below  the  level 
of  others.  There  was  a  boldness  in  his  eye,  a  fluency  of 
speech,  and  a  forwardness  in  his  whole  deportment,  which, 
without  approaching  to  impudence,  gave  a  dashing  air  to  his 
conduct,  and  a  freshness  to  his  conversation.  His  horse 
seemed  much  fatigued,  and  from  his  saddle  hung  the  hinder 
quarter  of  a  deer  recently  killed. 

"  Gentlemen,  good  evening,"  said  he,  as  he  dismounted, 
"this  has  been  a  powerful  hot  day." 

"  Very  sultry,"  replied  one  of  the  carriers. 

:'  No  two  ways  about  that,"  said  the  hunter ;  "  there's  as 
good  a  piece  of  horse-flesh,  to  his  size,  as  ever  crooked  a 
pastern,  and  as  fast  a  nag  as  can  be  started,  for  any  distance 
from  a  quarter  up  to  four  miles ;  but  this  day  has  pretty 
nearly  used  him  up." 

"  You  seem  to  have  been  hunting." 

"  Why,  yes  ;  I  have  been  taking  a  little  tower  among  the 
mountains  here.  I  have  just  killed  a  fine  deer,  and  as  I  felt 


84  LEGENDS   OF   THE    WEST. 

sort  o'  lonesome,  I  turned  into  the  big  road,  in  hopes  of  meet- 
ing with  a  traveller  to  help  me  eat  it." 

This  offer  was,  of  course,  well  received ;  the  venison  was 
sent  to  the  fire,  and  the  stranger  prepared  to  encamp  with 
his  new  acquaintance. 

The  quick  eye  of  the  hunter  was  now  attracted  to  two  of 
the  youngest  of  the  company,  who  were  engaged  in  a  tussle, 
an  exercise  common  among  our  western  youth,  and  far 
superior  to  wrestling  or  boxing,  as  it  requires  greater  skill 
and  activity,  and  is  far  less  savage  thau  either  of  those 
ancient  games.  The  object  of  each  party  is  to  throw  his 
adversary  to  the  ground,  and  to  retain  his  advantage  by 
holding  him  down  until  the  victory  shall  be  decided ;  and  as 
there  are  no  rules  to  regulate  the  game,  each  exerts  his 
strength  and  skill  in  any  manner  which  his  judgment  may 
dictate,  using  force  or  artifice  according  to  circumstances. 
The  two  persons  who  now  approached  each  other  seemed 
each  to  be  intent  on  grappling  with  his  adversary  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  gain  an  advantage  at  the  outset.  At  first,  each 
eluded  the  grasp  of  the  other,  advancing,  retreating,  seizing, 
or  shaking  each  other  off,  and  each  using  every  artifice  in  his 
power  to  secure  an  advantage  in  the  manner  of  grappling 
with  his  opponent.  Then  they  grasped  at  arm's-length,  and 
tried  each  other's  strength  by  pushing,  pulling,  and  whirling 
round,  testing  the  muscular  powers  of  the  arm  and  the  nim- 
bleness  of  the  foot  to  the  utmost.  Finally  they  became 
closely  interlocked,  their  bodies  in  contact,  and  their  limbs 
twined,  wrestling  with  all  their  powers,  and  after  an  arduous 
struggle  came  together  to  the  ground,  amidst  the  shouts  and 
laughter  of  the  spectators.  But  the  struggle  was  not  over ; 
for  now  a  fierce  contest  ensued,  in  which  each  endeavoured  to 
get  uppermost,  or  to  hold  his  antagonist  to  the  ground. 
Their  muscular  strength  and  flexibility  of  limb  seemed  now 
almost  miraculous.  Sometimes  the  person  who  was  undermost 
&irly  rolled  over  and  over  his  adversary,  and  sometimes  h* 


HARPE'S   HEAD. 


S5 


raised  himself  by  main  strength,  with  his  opponent  still 
clinging  to  him,  and  renewed  the  struggle  on  foot ;  and  often 
their  bodies  were  twisted  together  and  their  limbs  inter- 
locked until  every  muscle  and  sinew  were  strained,  and  it 
was  difficult  to  tell  which  was  uppermost.  At  last  their 
breathing  grew  short,  the  violence  of  the  exercise:  produced 
exhaustion,  and  one  of  the  parties  relaxing  his  efforts,  enabled 
the  other  to  claim  the  victory.  The  tired  parties,  dripping 
with  perspiration,  ceased  the  contest  in  perfect  good-humour. 

"  You  must  not  tussle  with  me  no  more,  Bill,"  said  the 
victor;  "you  see  you  ain't  no  part  of  a  priming  to  me." 

"  That's  very  well,"  cried  the  other,  eyeing  his  comrade 
with  perfect  complacency  ;  "  I  like  to  see  you  have  a  good 
opinion  of  yourself.  If  i  didn't  let  you  win  once  in  a  while 
to  encourage  you,  I  could  never  get  a  chance  to  have  no  fun 
out  of  you." 

It  was  now  perceived  that  while  the  attention  of  the  com- 
pany was  fixed  upon  the  sport,  another  stranger  had  joined 
them.  He  cautiously  pushed  aside  the  thick  brushwood 
behind  the  merry  circle,  threw  a  quick  jealous  glance  upon 
the  party,  and  then  advancing  with  circumspection,  halted  in 
the  rear,  and  remained  for  a  while  unnoticed.  When  the 
contest  which  we  have  described  was  over,  the  eyes  of  the 
whole  party  fell  on  the  intruder.  His  appearance  was  too 
striking  not  to  rivet  attention.  In  size  he  towered  above  the 
ordinary  stature,  his  frame  was  bony  and  muscular,  his  breast 
broad,  his  limbs  gigantic.  His  clothing  was  uncouth  and 
shabby,  his  exterior  weatherbeaten  and  dirty,  indicating  con- 
tinual exposure  to  the  elements,  and  pointing  out  this  singular 
person  as  one  who  dwelt  far  from  the  habitations  of  men,  and 
who  mingled  not  in  the  courtesies  of  civilized  life.  He  was 
completely  armed,  with  the  exception  of  a  rifle,  which  seemed 
to  have  only  been  laid  aside  for  a  moment,  for  he  carried  the 
usual  powder-horn  and  pouch  of  the  backwoodsman.  A 
broad  leathern  belt,  drawn  closely  round  his  waist,  supported 


LEGENDS  OF  THE   WEST. 

a  large  and  a  smaller  knife  and  a  tomahawk.  But  that 
which  attracted  the  gaze  of  all  the  company  into  which  he 
had  intruded,  was  the  bold  and  ferocious  countenance  of  the 
new  comer,  and  its  strongly  marked  oppression  of  villainy. 
His  face,  which  was  larger  than  ordinary,  exhibited  the  lines 
of 'ungovernable  passion,  but  the  complexion  announced  that 
the  ordinary  feelings  of  the  human  breast  were  extinguished, 
and  instead  of  the  healthy  hue  which  indicates  the  social 
emotions,  there  was  a  livid,  unnatural  redness,  resembling 
that  of  a  dried  and  lifeless  skin.  The  eye  was  fearless  and 
steady,  but  it  was  also  artful  and  audacious,  glaring  upon  the 
beholder  with  an  unpleasant  fixedness  and  brilliancy,  like  that 
of  a  ravenous  animal  gloating  upon  its  prey,  and  concen- 
trating all  its  malignity  into  one  fearful  glance.  He  wore  no 
covering  on  his  head,  and  the  natural  protection  of  thick 
coarse  hair,  of  a  fiery  redness,  uncombed  and  matted,  gave 
evidence  of  long  exposure  to  the  rudest  visitations  of  the 
sunbeam  and  the  tempest.  He  seemed  some  desperate  out- 
law, an  unnatural  enemy  of  his  species,  destitute  of  the  nobler 
sympathies  of  human  nature,  and  prepared  at  all  points  for 
assault  or  defence,  who  in  some  freak  of  daring  insolence  had 
intruded  himself  into  the  society  of  men,  to  brave  their 
resentment  or  to  try  the  effect  which  his  presence  might 
occasion. 

Although  there  was  something  peculiarly  suspicious  and 
disagreeable  in  the  appearance  of  this  stranger,  there  was 
nothing  to  excite  alarm  or  to  call  for  the  expression  of  any 
disapprobation.  He  was  armed  like  other  men  of  that  front- 
ier region,  and  the  road  was  a  public  highway,  frequented  by 
people  of  various  character  and  condition.  Still  there  was  a 
shrinking  and  a  silent  interchange  of  glances  among  the 
carriers  on  discovering  his  silent  and  almost  mysterious 
intrusion ;  one  whispered,  "  What  does  that  fellow  want  ?" 
and  another  muttered,  "  Keep  a  red  eye  out,  boys — that  chap 
is  not  too  good  to  steal."  The  young  hunter  who  had  just 


HARPE'S   HEAD.  87 

joined  them  was  not  of  the  kind  of  mettle  to  sit  still  on  such 
an  occasion.  He  jumped  up,  and  addressing  their  visitor  in 
a  blithe,  frank  tone,  said,  "  Good  evening,  stranger." 

The  person  addressed  turned  his  eye  deliberately  towards 
the  speaker,  and  returned  his  salutation  with  a  nod,  without 
opening  his  lips. 

"Travelling,  stranger?" 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  other.  The  sound  of  his  voice,  even 
in  uttering  this  monosyllable,  was  cold  and  repulsive,  and 
any  other  than  a  resolute  inquirer  would  have  pursued  the 
dialogue  no  further.  But  the  young  Kentuckian  was  not  so 
easily  repulsed. 

"  Which  way  ?  if  it's  a  fair  question,"  continued  he. 

"  West,"  was  the  laconic  reply. 

"  That  fellow's  mouth  goes  off  like  a  gun  with  a  rusty 
lock,"  said  the  hunter  aside  ;  then  addressing  him  again,  "  To 
Kentucky,  eh  1  well,  that's  right — there's  plenty  of  room 
there — game  enough,  and  a  powerful  chance  of  good  living. 
No  two  ways  about  that.  Come  from  old  Virginia,  I  sup- 
pose ?" 

The  stranger,  instead  of  answering  this  question,  turned 
his  head  in  another  direction,  as  if  he  had  not  heard  it,  stepped 
a  few  paces  off,  as  if  about  to  retire,  and  then  again  halted 
and  faced  the  party. 

"No,  I'll  be  d'rot  if  ever  that  chap  came  out  of  old 
Virginny,"  muttered  the  young  man  aside,  "  they  don't  raise 
such  humans  in  the  Old  Dominion,  no  how.  I'll  see  what  he 
is  made  of,  however." 

Then  winking  at  his  companions  he  approached  the 
stranger,  and  taking  a  penknife  from  his  pocket  presented  it 
to  him  with  a  civil  bow.  The  stranger  was  not  to  be  taken 
by  surprise.  He  received  the  knife,  looked  at  it  and  at  the 
donor  inquiringly,  as  if  he  would  have  said,  "  What  means 
this  1"  and  then  coolly  put  it  in  his  pocket  without  saying  a 
word.  His  tormentor  did  not  leave  him  in  doubt. 


88  LEGENDS   OF   THE  WEST. 

"  It  is  a  rule  in  our  country,"  said  he,  "  when  a  man  is 
remarkably  ugly,  to  make  him  a  present  of  a  knife.  Keep 
that,  if  you  please,  stranger,  till  you  meet  with  a  homelier 
human  than  yourself,  and  then  give  it  to  him." 

This  practical  joke  would,  in  some  countries,  have  been 
considered  as  a  quiz ;  in  Kentucky  it  was  a  kind  of  challenge, 
which  the  receiver  might  have  honourably  avoided  by  joining 
in  the  laugh,  or  which,  on  the  other  hand,  gave  him  ample 
cause  to  crack  his  heels  together,  and  assert  that  he  was  not 
only  the  handsomest,  but  the  best  man  in  company ;  which 
assertion,  if  concluded,  as  the  lawyers  say,  with  a  versifica- 
tion, would  have  been  tantamount  to  calling  for  "pistols  for 
two."  The  stranger  did  neither,  but  pocketed  the  knife  and 
the  affront,  and  quietly  turned  to  walk  away 

To  a  brave  man  nothing  causes  more  painful  regret  than 
to  have  given  an  unprovoked  affront  to  one  who  is  unable  or 
unwilling  to  resent  it.  Had  the  stranger  shown  the  slightest 
inclination  to  take  up  the  gauntlet  which  had  been  thrown  to 
him,  the  young  Kentuckian,  who  viewed  him  with  intuitive 
dislike,  would  probably  have  challenged  him  to  instant  com- 
bat, and  have  engaged  him  with  the  ferocity  of  a  hungry 
brute ;  but  no  sooner  did  the  latter  discover  that  the  person 
he  addressed  neither  relished  his  joke  nor  was  disposed  to 
resent  it,  than  his  generous  nature  prompted  him  to  make 
instant  atonement. 

"  Look  here,  stranger,"  he  exclaimed,  drawing  a  flask  of 
spirits  from  his  pocket,  and  offering  it ;  "  you  are  a  droll  sort 
of  a  white  man  ;  you  won't  talk,  nor  laugh,  nor  quarrel — will 
you  drink  1  Take  a  drop,  and  let  us  be  friends." 

This  appeal  was  not  in  vain.  The  uncouth  man  of  the 
woods  took  the  flask,  raised  it  silently  to  his  lips,  and  drained 
the  whole  of  its  contents,  amounting  to  nearly  a  pint,  without 
stopping  to  breathe  ;  then  placing  one  hand  on  the  shoulder 
of  the  young  man,  and  leaning  towards  him,  he  said,  in  a  low 
voice,  "  We  shall  meet  again,"  at  the  same  time  grasping  the 


r 


HABPE'S   HEAD.  89 


handle  of  his  long  knife  and  casting  a  look  of  defiance  at  the 
whole  party.  Whether  he  intended  to  strike  is  doubtful,  for 
the  young  man,  stepping  back,  stood  on  his  guard,  look  ing.  at 
his  adversary  with  an  undaunted  eye,  while  the  carriers 
started  to  their  feet,  prepared  to  defend  him.  In  another 
moment  the  stranger  had  turned,  and  dashing  into  the  thicket, 
disappeared. 

"  Well,  if  that  ain't  a  droll  chicken,  I'm  mistaken,"  ex- 
claimed the  Kentuckian.  "  I  say,  gentlemen,  the  way  that 
fellow  takes  his  brandy  is  curious.  He  is  not  of  the  right 
breed  of  dogs,  no  how.  There's  no  two  ways  about  that." 

Before  any  further  remark  could  be  made,  the  attention 
of  the  party  was  arrested  by  an  exclamation  of  terror  from  a 
female  voice  ;  the  cause  of  which  shall  be  explained  in  the 
next  chapter. 


90  LEGENDS   OF   THE    WEST. 


CHAPTER  X. 

MISS  PENDLETON  had  left  the  place  of  her  nativity 
under  a  melancholy  depression  of  spirits.  Reared  in 
affluence,  the  favourite  and  only  object  of  affection  of  a  kind 
guardian,  surrounded  by  friends,  followed  by  a  train  of 
admirers,  and  accustomed  to  every  indulgence,  the  sudden 
reverse  of  her  fortunes  afflicted  her  heart  with  keen  anguish. 
She  was  too  high-minded  to  mourn  with  unavailing  regret 
over  the  blight  of  those  advantages  which  merely  elevated 
her  above  her  companions.  The  truly  generous  mind  esti- 
mates the  gifts  of  fortune  at  something  like  their  real  value. 
But  the  loss  of  the  dearly  loved  guardian  of  her  youth,  and 
the  dreadful  catastrophe  which  produced  that  melancholy 
bereavement,  deeply  touched  her  heart,  and  awakened  all  her 
sensibilities. 

The  measure  of  her  grief  seemed  to  be  full ;  but  when  she 
came  to  the  resolution  of  quitting  the  scenes  of  her  childhood 
and  parting  with  her  early  friends,  she  found  that  her  heart 
had  still  room  for  other  afflictions,  and  she  left  her  native  land 
sorrowing  and  bowed  down  in  spirit.  Possessed,  however,  of 
a  strong  intellect  and  a  buoyant  temper,  the  exercise  of  trav- 
elling, the  change  of  scene,  and  the  kindness  of  her  com- 
panions, if  they  did  not  diminish  her  sorrows,  rendered  them 
supportable.  By  degrees  her.  mind  began  to  assume  its 
natural  tone,  and  she  reflected  more  calmly  on  the  scenes 
through  which  she  had  lately  passed.  In  these  reveries  the 


HARPE'S   HEAD.  91 

image  of  Fennimore  continually  presented  itself.  His  visit 
seemed  to  be  intimately  yet  strangely  connected  with  the 
death  of  her  uncle.  She  had  heard  enough  of  the  circum- 
stances which  we  have  detailed  to  know  that  it  had  relation 
to  a  pecuniary  claim  against  the  estate  of  Major  Heyward, 
but  knew  nothing  of  its  justice,  extent,  or  character.  Mrs. 
Lee  had  spoken  of  it  as  a  demand  which  would  absorb  the 
whole  of  her  venerable  relative's  vast  fortune,  and  which  placed 
the  claimant  in  the  position  of  a  competitor  with  herself,  and 
had  thrown  out  imputations  against  his  integrity  of  the  dark- 
est import.  On  the  other  hand,  she  remembered  that  he  had 
been  received  not  only  with  the  hospitality  extended  to  all 
visitors  at  Walnut  Hill,  but  with  affectionate  cordiality.  Her 
uncle,  who  was  a  man  of  excellent  discernment,  had  treated 
him  with  the  confidence  of  friendship,  and  she  was  slow  to 
believe  either  that  he  was  deceived  in  the  character  of  his 
guest,  or  that  he  had  professed  a  show  of  kindness  which  he 
did  not  feel.  Mr.  Fennimore's  appearance  and  manners  were 
highly  prepossessing ;  there  was  especially  about  him  a 
frankness  and  manly  dignity  which  could  hardly  be  deceptive. 
She  passed  in  review  the  agreeable  hours  of  his  short  visit, 
and  a  flush  of  maiden  pride  mantled  her  cheek  as  she  recol- 
lected his  earnest  yet  respectful  attentions,  and  confessed  that 
of  all  the  homage  which  she  had  received  in  the  triumph  of 
beauty,  none  had  ever  been  so  acceptable  as  that  of  this 
handsome  and  gallant  soldier.  We  have  little  faith  in  the 
romantic  doctrine  of  love  at  first  sight,  but  on  the  other  hand 
we  cannot  think  it  strange  that  an  intelligent  and  susceptible 
woman  should  readily  draw  a  distinction  between  the  com- 
monplace civilities  of  ordinary  men,  or  the  silly  gallantries 
of  mere  witless  beaux,  and  the  enlightened  preference  of  a 
gentleman  of  taste  and  judgment,  nor  that  she  should  feel 
flattered  by  an  appearance  of  partiality  from  such  a  source. 
She  was  at  an  age  when  the  heart  is  feelingly  alive  to  the 
tender  sensations,  and  it  would  have  been  singular  if  she  had 


92  LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 

not  become  interested  in  a  modest  and  highly-gifted  man,  so 
nearly  of  her  own  years  and  condition,  who  had  been  her 
companion  for  several  days ;  nor  would  it  have  been  natural 
for  one  so  accustomed  as  herself  to  the  attentions  of  the  other 
sex,  to  mistake  the  effect  which  her  own  attractions  had  pro- 
duced on  the  mind  of  the  agreeable  stranger.  Then  the 
ready  gallantry  with  which  he  risked  his  own  life  to  rescue 
her  from  the  flames,  and  his  courageous  efforts  to  save  her 
uncle — these,  though  she  never  spoke  of  them,  awakened  a 
sentiment  of  gratitude  which  she  felt  could  never  be  effaced. 
Again,  when  she  recalled  the  circumstances  under  which  he 
left  the  neighbourhood  of  Walnut  Hill,  without  any  explana- 
tion to  the  friends  of  Major  Hey  ward  of  the  object  of  his 
visit,  and  without  leaving  any  message  for  herself,  his  conduct 
seemed  incomprehensible,  and  strangely  at  variance  with 
what  she  supposed  to  be  his  character.  But  these  mysterious 
circumstances,  although  they  excited  momentary  doubts,  and 
sometimes  awakened  a  slight  glow  of  resentment,  only  served 
in  the  end  to  render  Mr.  Fennimore  more  interesting  to  Miss 
Pendleton  ;  for  without  inferring,  as  some  ill-natured  persons 
would  do,  that  the  mind  of  woman  is  made  up  of  contra- 
dictions, it  is  enough  to  say  that  she  exercised  her  ingenuity 
in  imagining  a  variety  of  possible  explanations,  by  which  his 
conduct  might  be  placed  in  a  favourable  light  and  his  char- 
acter exalted,  until  she  persuaded  herself  that  such  develop- 
ments ivould  undoubtedly  be  made  in  due  time. 

Mrs.  Mountford,  although  she  had  never  seen  Mr.  Fenni- 
more, had  made  up  her  mind  that  he  was  an  impostor ;  a 
mere  fortune-hunter,  who  had  visited  Walnut  Hill  in  the 
prosecution  of  some  desperate  scheme  against  the  person  and 
fortune  of  her  fair  friend.  Without  having  any  definite  ideas 
of  that  plan,  or  being  able  to  trace  its  connection  with  subse- 
quent events,  she  was  charitable  enough  to  attribute  the 
catastrophe  which  had  marred  the  fortunes  of  Virginia  to  this 
source,  and  spoke  of  Fennimore.  as  little  less  than  an  incen- 


HARPE'SHEAD.  98 

diary.  Perhaps  there  might  have  been  policy  in  this  ;  for 
discovering  that  Virginia  always  defended  her  uncle's  visitor 
with  some  spirit,  she  often  introduced  the  subject  for  the  sole 
purpose  of  disturbing  her  reveries,  and  awakening  her  mind 
from  the  apathy  into  which  it  seemed  to  be  sinking.  In  these 
discussions  Miss  Pendleton,  with  her  usual  frankness,  recapit- 
ulated all  the  evidence  in  favour  of  Mr.  Fennimore,  with 
some  of  the  arguments  which  her  own  ingenuity  had  sug- 
gested, and  thus  became  accustomed  to  defend  his  character. 
After  all,  there  was  but  one  argument  which  had  any  weight 
with  the  pertinacious  Mrs.  Mountford  ;  it  was  the  same  which 
had  appealed  so  forcibly  to  the  genuine  Virginian  feeling  of 
Colonel  Antler,  namely,  "  that  a  gentleman  would  not  com- 
mit arson."  "  If  he  is  really  a  gentleman,  my  dear,"  was 
Mrs.  Mountford's  usual  conclusion,  "  that  settles  the  question  ; 
but  how  few  of  those  do  we  find  north  of  the  Potomac?  and 
this  Mr.  Fennimore,  you  know,  did  not  pretend  to  have  been 
born  in  the  Old  Dominion." 

The  unexpected  discovery  of  a  murdered  body  in  the 
road  had  deeply  affected  our  heroine,  and  had  led  her  thoughts 
back  to  the  most  melancholy  events  in  her  own  history.  She 
was  this  evening  unusually  depressed,  and  it  was  in  the  hope 
of  diverting  her  reflections  into  some  other  channel  that  her 
friends,  though  much  fatigued,  had  proposed  the  walk  which 
led  them  to  the  vicinity  of  the  pack-horse  camp,  and  had  been 
induced  to  linger,  the  concealed  witnesses  of  the  rude  scene 
which  was  there  enacted. 

The  events  which  we  have  described  arrested  her  attention. 
It  had  so  happened,  however,  that  she  stood  in  such  a  position 
as  not  to  see  the  face  of  the  person  whose  appearance  caused 
so  much  curiosity,  until  the  moment  of  his  drawing  his  knife, 
when  a  movement  of  his  body  brought  him  full  before  her, 
and  to  her  utter  dismay  she  recognised  the  same  savage  coun- 
tenance which  she  had  discovered  at  her  window  on  the  night 
of  the  conflagration  !  Her  alarm  and  agitation  may  be  easily 


94  LEGENDS   OF   THE    WEST. 

conceived.  An  involuntary  expression  of  horror  burst  from 
her  lips,  which  drew  the  attention  not  only  of  her  own  friends, 
but  of  the  party  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  stream.  With 
some  exertion  she  resumed  her  self-command,  and  returned 
immediately  to  the  camp.  She  had  heretofore  described  to 
Mr.  Mountford  the  apparition  which  had  so  greatly  terrified 
her  on  the  occasion  above  alluded  to,  and  that  gentleman  as 
well  as  others  had  supposed  that  she  had  been  deceived  by 
her  imagination.  But  now,  on  her  repeating  that  incident, 
the  description  which  she  gave  of  the  supposed  incendiary 
corresponded  so  completely  with  that  of  the  remarkable 
person  they  had  seen,  as  to  leave  little  doubt  of  the  identity 
of  the  one  with  the  other ;  and  he  hastened  to  the  encamp- 
ment of  the  carriers  to  acquaint  them  with  his  suspicions  and 
procure  assistance  to  arrest  the  stranger.  Their  services  were 
offered  with  alacrity,  and  all  the  adjacent  coverts  were  care- 
fully examined,  but  night  coming  on,  any  extensive  search 
was  impracticable. 

Virginia  spent  a  miserable  night.  In  addition  to  the 
afflicting  recollections  that  had  previously  depressed  her  mind, 
the  events  of  the  day  had  suggested  a  new  and  dreadful  train 
of  thought.  Might  not  the  unfortunate  person  whose  remains 
had  been  found  concealed  by  the  mountain-path  have  been 
one  in  whom  she  felt  an  interest  which  she  could  not  conceal 
from  herself?  She  had  not  seen  the  body,  and  the  friend  for 
whose  safety  she  now  trembled  was  unknown  to  Mr.  Mount- 
ford.  She  knew  that  Mr.  Fennimore  was  on  his  way  to  the 
western  frontier  when  he  called  at  Walnut  Hill — his  presence 
there  on  the  night  of  the  conflagration  had  probably  defeated 
to  some  extent  the  designs  of  the  incendiary — and  now  a 
young  gentleman,  whose  description  answered  too  well  with 
his,  was  found  murdered. in  the  very  path  that  he  had  taken. 
She  had  seen  the  murderer  of  her  lamented  uncle  ;  and  cir- 
cumstances had  occurred  to  render  it  not  unlikely  that  the 
same  terrible  assassin  had  waylaid  Mr.  Fennimore  and  was 


HARPE'S   HEAD.  95 

now  tracking  her  own  footsteps  !  A  dreadful  mystery  seemed 
to  hang  over  her  fate.  In  vain  did  she  endeavour  to  find  some 
clue  to  these  dark  transactions.  Major  Heyward  had  been 
the  most  inoffensive  of  men;  she  herself  had  no  enemy,  and 
why  should  she,  now  an  unprotected  and  penniless  orphan, 
be  thus  persecuted  ?  These  thoughts  tormented  her  already 
agitated  mind  and  drove  sleep  from  her  pillow. 

Miss  Pendleton  occupied  a  tent  containing  her  own  bed 
and  that  of  a  negro  maid-servant.  Mr.  Mountford's  negro 
train  were  accustomed  to  spend  their  evenings  in  those  festiv- 
ities to  which  the  whole  of  that  careless  race  are  so  much 
addicted.  They  had  now  collected  a  great  pile  of  logs,  whose 
blaze  illuminated  the  camping  ground,  and  threw  a  brilliant 
glare  for  some  distance  into  the  surrounding  forest.  A  gray- 
haired  fiddler,  whose  musical  abilities  had  contributed  to  the 
amusement  of  several  successive  generations  of  the  Mount- 
fords — white  and  black — sat  on  a  log  scraping  his  merry  vio- 
lin, while  his  sable  comrades  danced  on  the  green.  Happy 
in  the  absence  of  all  care,  and  under  the  protection  of  an  in- 
dulgent master  who  had  grown  up  from  childhood  among 
them,  and  was  endeared  to  them  by  the  ties  of  long  associa- 
tion and  the  interchange  of  kindness  known  only  to  those 
who  are  acquainted  with  the  relation  of  master  and  servant, 
these  thoughtless  beings  gave  themselves  up  entirely  to 
merriment.  They  had  no  property  to  care  for,  no  want  to 
supply,  no  peril  in  anticipation  to  excite  their  fears,  no  spec- 
ulation in  their  eye  to  poison  the  enjoyment  of  the  present 
moment ;  and  although  undergoing  the  fatigue  of  a  toilsome 
march,  their  eyeballs  glistened,  their  sable  cheeks  shone,  and 
their  snow-white  teeth  became  visible  at  the  first  note  of  the 
fiddle.  Seated  in  a  circle  round  the  blazing  log-heap,  they 
ate  their  rations,  told  merry  tales  of  "  Old  Virginny,"  and 
then  joining  in  the  dance  capered  with  as  much  vigour  and 
agility  as  if  their  whole  bodies  were  made  upon  springs  and 
muscles,  while  streams  of  perspiration  rolled  from  their  shin- 


96  LEGENDS   OF   THE  WEST. 

ing  visages.  At  length  that  part  of  the  accompaniment,  to 
which,  not  being  a  musician,  I  am  unable  to  give  a  scientific 
Italian  name,  but  which  consists  in  certain  drowsy  nods  and 
comfortable  naps,  on  the  part  of  the  artist,  interpolate  be- 
tween the  tunes,  and  spreading  off  like  the  shading  of  a  pic- 
ture, so  as  to  mingle  insensibly  with  the  brighter  and  gayer 
parts  of  the  performance,  began  to  preponderate  ;  the  heavy 
eyelids  of  the  musician  were  raised  less  frequently  and  with 
a 'duller  motion,  the  elbow  lost  its  elasticity,  the  sable  belles 
crawled  away  one  by  one  to  their  pallets,  and  the  hilarity  of 
the  night  died  away  into  a  profound  silence. 

Our  heroine,  however,  did  not  share  the  contagious  drow- 
siness. She  remained  in  a  feverish  state  of  excitement,  some- 
times wrapped  for  a  few  moments  in  abstracted  thought,  as 
ruminating  on  the  past,  and  sometimes  endeavouring  to  banish 
reflection,  by  listening  with  an  ear  acutely  alive  to  the  slight- 
est sound.  As  the  vociferous  notes  of  merriment  died 
away,  other  tones  more  congenial  with  her  frame  of  mind  in- 
vaded the  silence  of  the  night.  The  atmosphere  was  clear  and 
chill ;  not  a  breath  shook  the  trees  or  disturbed  the  repose  of 
the  valley.  The  murmuring  of  the  rivulet,  scarcely  percepti- 
ble during  the  day,  now  fell  distinctly  and  pleasantly  on  the 
ear.  An  occasional  and  distant  tinkling  was  heard  at  inter- 
vals, by  the  bells  attached  to  the  cattle  and  carriers'  horses. 
"  The  wolf's  long  howl,"  reverberating  from  cliff  to  cliff,  was 
answered  by  the  bark  of  the  travellers'  dogs ;  but  even  these 
sounds  ceased  when  the  faithful  animals  sought  repose  by  their 
masters'  sides.  The  owl  hooted  from  her  solitary  den  ;  and 
once,  when  every  other  voice  was  hushed,  and  nature  seemed 
to  repose  in  death-like  stillness,  a  huge  tree,  probably  a 
majestic  pine,  which  had  braved  the  mountain  storm  for  ages, 
fell  on  the  ground  with  a  terrific  crash,  which  re-echoed  from 
rock  to  rock,  and  from  one  cavern  to  another,  rolling  along 
the  valley  like  the  prolonged  reiterations  of  thunder  or  a 
continuous  discharge  of  artillery.  The  scared  owl  shouted  in 


H  A  H  l>  E  :  S     H  E  A  D  .  97 

alami,  the  dogs  rushed  howling  from  their  beds,  the  wolf 
renewed  his  savage  complaint,  and  again  all  was  silent. 

Miss  Pendleton,  exhausted  by  a  variety  of  contending  emo- 
tions, at  last  sunk  into  a  feverish  slumber,  from  which  she 
was  awakened  by  a  slight  noise.  She  raised  her  head,  and 
the  strong  light  still  brightly  reflected  from  the  expiring  fires 
upon  the  white  canvass,  enabled  her  to  see  distinctly  the  figure 
of  a  man  at  the  entrance  of  the  tent ;  his  head — that  dreadful 
head,  so  strongly  pictured  upon  her  memory — already  pro- 
truded within  the  opening,  and  one  hand,  which  grasped  a 
knife,  was  employed  in  cutting  a  number  of  strong  cords  by 
which  the  entrance  was  closed.  She  uttered  a  loud  scream, 
but  the  villain,  nothing  daunted,  continued  his  efforts,  cutting 
and  tearing  the  slight  obstacles,  with  a  violence  which  showed 
a  determination  to  accomplish  his  dreadful  purpose  at  all 
hazards.  Accident,  aided  perhaps  by  the  confusion  of  guilt, 
delayed  him  for  a  moment;  his  feet  became  entangled  in 
some  harness  carelessly  thrown  before  the  tent :  the  screams 
of  Virginia  roused  the  watch-dogs;  Mr.  Mountford  seized 
his  pistols  and  hastened  to  her  relief,  while  the  foiled  assassin 
hastily  retreated,  leaping  nimbly  over  every  obstacle,  push- 
ing aside  the  bushes  with  gigantic  strength,  and  disappearing 
in  the  gloom  of  the  forest. 
5 


98  L  E  O  E  N  D  9     O  F     T  H  E     W  E  S  T  . 


CHAPTER    XI. 

HI  WO  days  after  the  occurrence  of  the  events  detailed  in  the 
-L  last  chapter,  the  inhabitants  of  the  little  village  of  Stan- 
ford, in  Lincoln  county,  Kentucky,  were  surprised  by  the  ap- 
pearance in  their  streets  of  a  singular  group  of  travellers. 
Although  emigrants  of  various  descriptions  were  continually 
passing  through  this  place  to  the  newer  settlements,  lying 
still  farther  to  the  west,  there  was  something  about  this  party 
which  attracted  universal  attention.  The  leader  of  the  caval- 
cade was  the  ferocious  individual  who  has  already  been  more 
than  once  brought  under  the  notice  of  the  reader.  He  was, 
as  before,  bare-headed,  and  carried  on  his  shoulder  a  long  rifle, 
while  his  belt  supported  two  knives,  a  pistol,  and  a  tomahawk. 
Without  turning  to  the  right  or  left,  and  scarcely  appearing 
to  notice  objects  around  him,  he  moved  forward  along  the 
middle  of  the  street  with  a  firm  and  rapid  step  and  an  air  of 
audacious  defiance.  Yet  a  close  observer  might  have  noticed, 
that  although  he  neither  turned  his  head,  nor  seemed  to  regard 
those  who  passed  near  him,  his  fierce  eye  rolled  rapidly  from 
side  to  side  with  suspicious  watchfulness.  Behind  him  fol- 
lowed three  women,  two  of  whom  were  sun-burnt,  coarse,  and 
wretchedly  attired,  and  the  other  somewhat  more  delicate 
and  better  dressed.  The  females  led  two  horses,  almost 
broken  down  with  fatigue,  on  whose  backs  were  packed  a  few 
cooking  utensils,  an  axe,  several  guns,  some  blankets,  and  a 
small  quantity  of  provisions.  Three  or  four  half-naked  chil- 


HARPB'S   HEAD.  99 

dren,  wild,  sallow,  and  hungry-looking,  with  small  fierce  eyes, 
glancing  timidly  about,  followed  next ;  and  lastly  came  a 
man,  smaller  in  size  than  him  who  led  the  party,  but  similarly 
armed,  having  the  same  suspicious  exterior,  and  a  countenance 
equally  fierce  and  sinister.  The  deportment  of  all  the  indi- 
viduals of  this  company  was  that  of  persons  who  considered 
themselves  in  a  hostile  or  an  alien  country,  and  who,  accus- 
tomed to  the  apprehension  of  danger,  stood  ready  to  evade 
by  flight,  or  resist  even  to  death,  any  assault  which  might  be 
made  on  them.  Even  their  dog,  a  thievish-looking  cur,  re- 
sembling a  wolf  in  looks  and  action,  stole  along  with  a 
stealthy  tread,  his  tail  drooped,  and  his  malignant  eye  scowl- 
ing watchfully  around.  Their  determination  seemed  to  be  to 
proceed  rapidly  on  without  halting;  but  when  they  had  passed 
the  most  populous  part  of  the  village,  and  had  nearly  reached 
its  farther  limit,  they  stopped,  apparently  for  the  purpose  of 
procuring  some  article  of  which  they  stood  in  need.  The 
leader  proceeded  to  a  small  shop,  while  the  rest  of  the  party 
stood  in  the  middle  of  the  road,  exposed  to  the  burning  rays 
of  the  sun,  and  showing  no  inclination  either  to  seek  shelter 
or  to  hold  intercourse  with  the  inhabitants. 

At  this  moment  a  different  scene  was  presented  in  the 
other  end  of  the  village.  A  horseman,  mounted  on  a  foaming 
steed,  covered  with  dust,  came  spurring  in  at  full  speed,  and 
dismounted  at  the  house  of  one  of  the  principal  inhabitants, 
who  was  also  a  magistrate.  He  had  brought  tidings  of  the 
murder  committed  in  the  mountains,  and  had  traced  the  sup- 
posed perpetrators  to  this  plaee.  Without  disclosing  his 
business  to  any  other  person,  he  sought  a  private  interview 
with  the  magistrate  ;  and  in  a  few  minutes  a  plan  was  pre- 
pared for  the  arrest  of  the  suspected  persons.  Intelligence 
was  secretly  and  rapidly  passed  from  house  to  house,  and  the 
hardy  villagers,  accustomed  to  arm  hastily  for  war,  sallied 
forth  with  their  rifles  and  tomahawks,  and  dividing  themselves 
into  small  parties,  came  so  suddenly  upon  the  supposed  mur- 


100  LEGENDS   OF   THE    WEST. 

derers,  that  it  was  equally  impossible  for  them  to  resist  or 
escape.  They  expressed  neither  surprise  nor  fear,  neither  the 
shame  of  guilt  nor  the  courage  of  conscious  innocence,  but 
submitted  to  their  captors  in  sullen  insolence.  Some  articles 
were  found  in  their  possession,  and  a  variety  of  facts  proved, 
which  rendered  their  guilt  so  probable  as  to  justify  their  com- 
mitment for  further  examination. 

At  that  early  period  in  the  history  of  our  country,  jails 
were  neither  abundant  nor  particularly  well  adapted  for  the 
safe  keeping  of  prisoners.  There  was  none  at  Stanford,  and 
it  became  necessary  to  send  the  culprits  to  Danville,  where  a 
wholesome  institution  of  this  kind  had  been  provided.  The 
men  were  therefore  placed  under  the  charge  of  a  party  of 
armed  citizens  and  marched  off,  while  the  women  and  chil- 
dren, who  were  left  at  liberty,  followed  at  their  leisure.  The 
escort  rested  that  night  at  the  house  of  a  farmer,  a  comforta- 
ble log  cabin,  in  one  apartment  of  which  the  prisoners, 
securely  tied,  were  placed,  under  the  charge  of  two  sentinels, 
while  the  rest  of  the  guard  threw  themselves  down  to  repose 
on  the  floor  of  the  same  room.  Here  I  must  introduce  a  new 
character,  who  came  on  the  scene  at  this  place. 

Hercules  Short,  or,  as  he  was  more  frequently  called, 
Hark  Short,  was  the  only  son  of  a  poor  widow,  whose  miser- 
able cottage  stood  on  the  borders  of  an  extensive  swamp  in 
North  Carolina.  It  was  a  wretched  abode,  consisting  of  a 
single  apartment,  plentifully  supplied  with  crevices,  which 
admitted  the  light  of  heaven,  and  gave  free  access  to  the 
balmy  airs  of  spring  as  well  as  the  rude  blasts  of  winter. 
On  three  sides  it  was  surrounded  by  a  range  of  barren  ridges 
covered  with  a  stinted  growth  of  evergreens.  In  front  was 
a  dismal  swamp  filled  with  huge  trees,  whose  great  trunks 
supported  a  dense  canopy  of  foliage,  which  excluded  the  rays 
of  the  sun  from  the  gloomy  mass  of  turbid  waters  that  cov- 
ered the  earth.  An  undergrowth  of  tall  weeds  and  rank 
grass,  nourished  by  the  fertilizing  ooze,  but  deprived  of  the 


*  H  A  R  p  E  '  s    HEAD.  101 

light  and  warmth  of  the  sunbeam,  shot  up  into  a  sickly  and 
dropsical  luxuriance.  Here  the  moccasin-snake  might  be  seen 
gliding  over  the  roots  of  the  melancholy  cypress,  or  exposing 
his  loathsome  form  on  the  decaying  trunk  of  a  fallen  tree. 
Here  the  tuneful  frogs  held  nightly  concerts,  astonishing  the 
hearer  by  the  loudness  and  variety,  if  not  by  the  melody,  of 
their  voices.  This,  too,  was  the  favourite  haunt  of  that  musi- 
cal and  valiant  insect,  the  musquito,  \vhose  thirst  for  human 
blood  is  so  distressing  io  all  persons  of  tender  feelings.  The 
bear,  too,  loved  to  wander  and  repose  in  these  solitudes,  wading 
with  delight  among  the  flags  and  rushes  of  the  ponds,  in 
search  of  tender  buds,  or  snoring  securely  in  the  hollow  of  a 
tree,  where  the  sound  of  a  human  footstep  never  disturbed 
his  pleasant  slumbers.  His  neighbour,  the  owl,  sometimes 
kept  bad  hours,  screeching  her  untimely  song  at  mid-day, 
when  all  discreet  brutes  should  be  sleeping  ;  but  this  he  had 
learned  to  consider  as  a  pleasant  serenade. 

Other  innocent  and  playful  animals  tenanted  these  shades, 
but  the  spectator  who  should  have  visited  them  at  an  hour 
while  the  sun  was  above  the  horizon,  would  scarcely  have 
believed  that  any  living  thing  existed  here.  All  around  him 
would  be  motionless  and  silent.  Even  the  humid  atmosphere 
seemed  here  to  have  lost  its  elasticity  and  power  of  circula- 
tion. One  animated  being  alone  might  occasionally  be  seen 
winding  his  way  through  the  morass,  with  the  stealthy  tread 
of  the  midnight  prowler.  It  was  a  youth,  whose  slender  and 
emaciated  form  of  dwarfish  height  seemed  a  living  personifi- 
cation of  hunger.  His  diminutive  skeleton  was  covered  with 
a  skin  sallowed  by  the  humid  damps,  and  imbrowned  by 
exposure.  His  gait  was  slow,  from  caution  as  well  as  from 
indolence.  His  features  were  stolid,  and  the  muscles  of  his 
face  as  immovable  as  if  nature  had  denied  them  the  power 
of  expressing  passion  or  emotion.  A  small  gray  eye  alone, 
moving  warily  in  its  socket,  and  continually  glancing  from 
side  to  side,  with  the  watchfulness  of  apprehension,  indicated 


102  LEGENDS   OF   THE    WEST. 

the  existence  of  feelings  common  to  the  human  animal.  He 
was  bare-headed  and  bare-footed ;  his  tangled  hair  seemed  never 
to  have  known  the  discipline  of  a  comb  ;  while  his  coarse  and 
torn  garments,  which  certainly  pel-formed  no  useful  or  agree- 
able office  in  relation  to  the  comfort  of  his  body,  might  have 
been  worn  in  deference  to  the  customs  <,f  his  species;  and 
this  was  probably  the  only  instance  in  wnich  he  complied  so 
far  with  the  prejudices  of  society  as  to  identify  himself  as  a 
member  of  the  human  family. 

This  promising  young  gentleman  was  Mr.  Hark  Short, 
the  boy  of  the  swamp,  and  the  heir  of  the  pleasant  cabin 
described  above.  His  father  had,  from  necessity  or  choice, 
found  it  convenient  to  select  a  retired  country  residence ; 
and  after  his  demise  the  widow,  whose  love  of  solitude 
seemed  congenial  with  that  of  her  lord,  continued  to  inhabit 
the  family  mansion.  The  earliest  employment  of  our  hero 
was  to  gather  for  his  mother  the  pine-knots,  which  not  only 
constitute  the  fuel  -of  that  country,  but  are  the  most  fashion- 
able substitutes  for  spermaceti  candles ;  his  first  amusement 
in  life  was  to  spear  frogs  and  rob  birds'  nests.  His  ambition, 
however,  soon  rose  above  these  humble  pursuits,  and  before 
he  was  twelve  years  old  he  took  to  killing  snakes,  hunting 
opossums,  catching  fish,  and  finding -wild  pigs  in  the  woods. 
His  practice  in  relation  to  pigs  was  a  little  remarkable.  The 
farmers  in  that  country  suffer  their  hogs  to  run  at  large  in 
the  woods,  paying  them  little  attention  except  that  of  marking 
the  ears  of  each  generation  of  pigs  while  in  their  infancy,  so 
that  each  owner  may  be  able  to  distinguish  his  property. 
Our  friend  Hark,  well  aware  of  this  practice,  and  of  the  care 
with  which  the  farmers  performed  it,  whenever  an  increase  in 
their  swinish  families  rendered  it  expedient,  reasoned  plausibly 
enough  that  every  pig  which  was  not  marked  must  be  com- 
mon property,  or,  as  he  expressed  it,  a  wild  varment,  subject 
to  be  converted  to  the  individual  use  of  any  one  who  should 
first  appropriate  it  to  himself.  Whether  he  inferred  this 


H ARSE'S    HEAD.  103 

doctrine  from  the  principles  of  natural  law.  or  practised  it  as 
an  instinct,  is  not  important,  and  could  not  now  be  precisely 
ascertained.  We  deal  only  in  facts,  and  the  truth  is,  that 
although  Hark  never  acquired  a  pig  either  by  descent  or 
purchase,  he  made  it  a  rule  to  place  his  own  mark  in  the  ear 
of  every  juvenile  animal -of  this  species  which  he  found 
unmarked  in  the  woods.  Whenever  the  maternal  care  of  a 
female  swine,  wilder  or  more  cunning  than  usual,  induced 
her  to  hide  her  litter  in  some  unfrequented  covert  of  the 
woods,  or  in  some  solitary  islet  of  the  swamp,  inaccessible  to 
the  owner's  search,  or  when  any  unfortunate  orphan  strayed 
from  the  herd  and  escaped  the  owner's  eye,  Hark  was  sure  to 
find  them.  His  dexterity  in  accomplishing  this  feat  was 
remarkable.  He  would  lie  at  the  root  of  a  tree  watching  a 
herd  for  hours ;  but  no  sooner  were  the  grunters  nestled  in 
their  beds  of  leaves  than  Hawk  'commenced  operations, 
crawling  towards  them  with  a  noiseless  and  almost  imper- 
ceptible motion,  until  he  could  place  his  remorseless  hand 
upon  an  innocent  pig,  who  never  dreamt  of  being  marked 
until  the  knife  was  at  his  ear,  while  the  left  hand  of  the  dex- 
terous Hark  grasped  the  snout  with  such  skill  as  to  stifle  the 
cries  of  the  affrighted  animal.  A  whole  litter  would  thus 
pass  through  his  hands  in  the  course  of  a  short  time. 

If  any  should  be  so  squeamish  as  to  object  to  the  pro- 
priety of  this  mode  of  gaining  a  livelihood,  we  must  urge  in 
its  extenuation  the  same  apology  which  is  considered  as 
sufficient  in  most  of  the  ordinary  transactions  of  life,  and 
especially  in  reference  to  its  pecuniary  concerns, — that  of 
necessity.  Hark  had  been  raised  a  gentleman,  that  is  to  say, 
he  had  never  been  taught  to  work ;  he  had  no  fancy  for 
agricultural  pursuits,  and  the  barren  sands  around  his  mother's 
cabin  were  ill  suited  to  that  employment.  He  therefore 
necessarily  resorted  to  the  woods  for  a  support,  where  he 
sometimes  shot  a  deer ;  but  although  he  handled  a  rifle  well, 
he  disliked  its  use ;  the  labour  of  carrying  the  weapon  was 


104  LEGENDS    OF    THE    WEST. 

irksome  to  one  of  his  gentlemanly  nature,  and  the  noise  of  its 
report  particularly  uncongenial  with  his  habits  of  privacy 
and  meditative  turn  of  mind.  Besides,  gunpowder  and  lead 
cost  money,  which  is  not  to  be  picked  up  every  day  in  the 
swamps  of  North  Carolina.  And  why  should  not  marking  a 
pig  be  considered  as  respectable  as  gambling,  or  as  honest  as 
overreaching  a  neighbour  in  a  bargain  ?  Hark  could  see  no 
difference.  He  knew  little,  of  course,  of  morality  ;  but  an 
intuitive  greatness  of  mind  induced  him,  early  in  life,  to 
adopt  the  magnanimous  rule  of  the  Spartan,  which  attached 
no  shame  to  any  act,  except  that  of  doing  it  so  awkwardly  as 
to  be  detected.  Hark  had  no  ambition  to  make  a  noise  in 
the  world,  but  on  the  contrary  shrunk  habitually  from  ob- 
servation and  courted  the  society  of  his  own  thoughts.  Like 
many  great  men,  he  seemed  to  have  discovered  that  ingenuity 
is  a  nobler  quality  than  brute  force  and  that  discretion 
is  the  better  part  of  valour.  His  mother's  table,  therefore, 
was  tolerably  well  supplied  with  game,  consisting  entirely  of 
the  flesh  of  animals  that  might  be  taken  without  labour  or 
insnared  by  art.  In  the  spring  he  caught  fish,  in  the  autumn 
he  shook  the  stupid  opossum  from  the  persimmon  trees  and 
pawpaw  bushes,  and  during  the  rest  of  the  year  he  took — 
•whatever  chance  threw  in  his  way.  Sometimes  the  weather 
was  inclement,  and  nothing  stirred  in  the  woods  but  the 
creaking  bough  or  the  trembling  leaf,  and  sometimes  Hark, 
who  like  other  persons  of  genius  had  his  dark  days  of  de- 
spondency and  lassitude,  was  disinclined  to  hunt,  and  he  and 
Dame  Short  were  reduced  to  short  allowance  ;  but  they  were 
used  to  this,  and  it  was  marvellous  to  see  with  what  resigna- 
tion they  could  starve.  They  polished  the  bones  which  they 
had  picked  before,  and  when  this  resource  was  exhausted, 
passed  whole  days  without  eating,  the  goodwife  croaking  over 
the  fire  with  a  short  black  pipe  in  her  mouth,  and  Hark 
nestling  in  his  pallet,  like  some  hybernating  animal  who  sleeps 
away  the  long  months  of  winter. 


HARPE'S    HEAD.  105 

Solitary  as  was  the  life  of  Hark,  it  was  not  passed  without 
amusement.  Every  intelligent  mind  is  apt  to  become  ad- 
dicted to  some  pursuit,  which  soon  grows  into  a  master 
passion  of  the  soul ;  and  although  we  can  hardly  conceive 
that  the  practice  of  cruelty  could  ever  afford  enjoyment,  yet, 
strange  as  it  may  seem,  it  is  no  less  true,  that  destructiveness 
has  been  strongly  developed  in  men  of  the  most  magnanimous 
souls.  From  Nimrod,  the  "  mighty  hunter,"  down  to  Black 
Hawk,  the  Sac  warrior,  the  magnates  of  the  earth  have  ever 
taken  great  delight  in  killing  animals  and  cutting  the  throats 
of  their  fellow-men.  Setting  down  this  remarkable  thirst 
for  blood  as  one  of  the  undoubted  attributes  of  high  ambition, 
we  see  no  reason  why  Hark  should  not  be  ranked  with 
"  Macedonia's  madman  and  the  Swede." 

The  bent  of  his  genius  lay  particularly  towards  the  killing 
of  reptiles.  With  a  slight  spear,  formed  of  a  pointed  stick 
or  slender  cane,  he  would  sit  for  hours  by  a  pond,  transfixing 
every  frog  which  showed  its  head  above  the  surface  of  the 
water,  or  with  a  great  switch  in  his  hand,  lie  in  wait  for 
lizards  by  the  decaying  trunk  of  some  great  fallen  tree.  But 
his  soul  panted  for  higher  exploits  than  these.  He  enter- 
tained a  special  antipathy  for  snakes,  and  like  Hannibal  vowed 
eternal  enmity  against  the  whole  race.  Nothing  delighted 
him  so  much  as  to  encounter  a  serpent,  no  matter  to  what 
variety  it  belonged,  the  intrepid  rattlesnake,  the  lurking 
copper-head,  the  insidious  viper,  or  the  harmless  black  snake  ; 
he  no  sooner  beheld  his  enemy  than  he  prepared  for  battle 
with  the  eagerness  of  an  amateur  and  the  skill  of  an  experi- 
enced gladiator.  A  martial  hatred  flashed  from  his  eye,  and 
his  swarthy  visage,  flushed  with  a  chivalrous  intrepidity, 
assumed  an  unwonted  animation.  His  mode  of  proceeding 
on  such  occasions  was  perhaps  a  little  singular,  for,  either  to 
show  his  contempt  for  the  reptile,  or  his  indifference  to  dan- 
ger, or  be  cause  he  thought  it  the  most  scriptural  plan  of 
bruising  his  adversary's  head,  he  invariably  jumped  upon 


106.  LEGENDS 'OP   THE    WEST. 

the  crawling  animal  with  both  his  feet,  and  trampled  it  to 
death. 

The  world  went  quietly  along  with  Hark  until  he  ap- 
proached his  eighteenth  year,  when  several  untoward  events 
occurred  to  mar  his  felicity.  In  childhood  he  had  been  an 
honest  boy,  with  a  character  perfectly  unblemished  except 
by  certain  little  improprieties,  such  as  sucking  eggs  or  milking 
the  neighbours'  cows  when  he  found  them  grazing  in  the 
swamps ;  and  it  was  thought  that  the  undue  severity  of  the 
farmers  in  flogging  him  for  these  little  frailties  of  his  nature 
caused  him  to  grow  up  with  the  shy  and  misanthropic  habits 
for  which  he  was  so  remarkable.  But  as  he  became  older 
his  large  herd  of  swine  began  to  attract  attention  ;  the  farmers, 
who  believed  in  the  adage  of  the  civil  law,  partus  sequitur, 
&c.,  which  means  in  plain  English  that  the  offspring  belong 
to  the  owner  of  the  mother,  began  to  complain  that  the  de- 
scendants of  their  hogs  were  passing  frequently  into  the 
possession  of  Hark  the  snake-killer  and  threatened  him  with 
the  visitation  of  Lynch's  law  ;  indeed,  it  is  rumoured  that  he 
was  actually  arraigned  before  a  tribunal  exercising  this  im- 
partial jurisdiction,  but  as  there  is  no  report  of  the  case  we 
suppose  the  allegation  to  be  slanderous.  Dangers,  however, 
were  thickening  around  him  ;  he  now  spent  all  of  his  days  in 
the  deepest  recesses  of  the  swamp,  and  grew  so  wild  that 
whenever  he  heard  the  tramp  of  a  horse  or  the  crack  of  a 
rifle,  he  crept  into -some  hollow  tree  or  bounded  away  with 
the  caution  of  a  startled  fox.  The  fear  of  Lynch's  law  was 
continually  before  his  eyes,  and  he  would  rather  have  crawled 
into. a  den  of  rattlesnakes  than  have  shown  his  face  in  the 
neighbouring  settlement. 

But  the  longest  lane  will  have  aturning,and  the  time  was 
arrived  when  the  destiny  of  Hark  was  to  be  materially 
changed.  One  night  on  .returning  home  he  found  his  mother 
expiring.  He  would  have  gone  in  search  of  a  physician,but  she 
knew  that  the  hand  of  death  was  upon  her,  and  charged  him 


HARPE'S   HEAD.  107 

not  to  leave  her  bedside.  He  lighted  some  pine-knots,  and 
as  the  blaze  illumined  the  cheerless  cabin,  gazed  in  stupefied 
wonder  at  the  pale  and  distorted  features  of  her  who  had  been 
his  sole  companion  through  life.  She  was  the  only  human  being 
who  had  ever  treated  him  with  kindness.  He  had  not  been 
taught  obedience  by  precept  or  example,  but  had  served  and 
supported  her  from  that  kind  of  instinct  which  induces  animals 
to  consort  together  for  mutual  protection,  or  to  follow  the 
hand  that  feeds  them.  Blunted  as  his  feelings  were  by  his 
habits  of  life,  he  discovered  for  the  first  time  an  emotion  of 
tenderness  swelling  at  his  heart.  He  watched  for  hours  in  silence 
the  expiring  taper  of  existence.  Unable  to  render  any  assist- 
ance, and  unskilled  in  those  tender  assiduities  which  soothe  the 
pillow  of  disease,  he  felt  how  helpless  and  how  hopeless  is  the 
sorrow  of  him  who  watches  alone  in  the  chamber  of  death, 
awaiting  the  departure  of  the  soul  of  a  beloved  object,  whose 
flight  he  cannotarrest  nor  retard.  At  length,  when  her  breathing 
became  indistinct,  he  leaned  over  the  ghastly  form  and  sobbed 
in  broken  accents,  "  Mother,  don't — don't  die  !"  The  dying 
woman  recognised  the  voice  of  her  son  ;  she  turned  her  eyes 
towards  him ;  a  gleam  of  maternal  tenderness  passed  over 
her  face,  and  in  the  next  moment  her  spirit  passed  from  life 
to  eternity. 

Hark,  who  was  naturally  superstitious,  would  now  have 
fled  from  the  house  of  death,  but  a  decent  sense  of  pro- 
priety restrained  him,  and  renewing  the  blaze  upon  his 
now  solitary  hearth,  he  sat  with  his  face  buried  in  his  hands, 
giving  unrestrained  vent  to  his  sorrow.  These  were  new 
feelings,  and,  like  all  sudden  impulses,  they  were  evanescent. 
Grief  soon  exhausted  itself,  and  when  day  dawned  and  the 
beams  of  the  sun  began  to  dissipate  the  mist  that  hung  over 
his  dwelling,  his  wonted  habits  resumed  their  empire.  The 
events  of  that  day  need  not  be  told.  The  following  night  the 
moon  shone  brightly.  A  hunter  who  had  strayed  far  from 
home  in  search  of  game,  returning  at  a  late  hour,  discovered 


108  LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 

the  diminutive  form  of  Hark,  perched  on  the  summit  of  a 
small  knoll  not  far  from  the  cabin  of  the  late  widow.  He 
sat  motionless,  with  his  head  resting  on  his  hand,  unconscious 
of  the  hunter's  approach.  The  latter,  who  knew  the  wary 
habits  of  the  boy,  was  surprised  at  his  remaining  thus  mo- 
tionless, and  supposing  he  was  hurt  or  had  fallen  asleep,  drew 
near  with  a  friendly  intent  to  awaken  or  assist  him.  But  the 
sound  of  his  approaching  footsteps  soon  broke  the  reverie  of 
Hark,  who  no  sooner  became  aware  of  being  observed  than 
he  started  up,  and  after  a  cautious  glance  around  instantly 
fled  in  terror  from  the  spot.  The  astonished  hunter,  on 
examining,  found  that  the  boy  had  been  sitting  by  a  newly- 
made  grave,  over  which  the  moist  earth  had  just  been  closed. 
The  spade  lay  there  with  the  fresh  soil  still  clinging  to  the 
blade.  Alone,  and  by  moonlight,  this  singular  being  had  per- 
formed the  melancholy  rite  of  sepulture.  On  the  following 
morning  some  of  the  neighbours  visited  the  cabin  by  the  swamp, 
but  found  it  deserted  ;  nor  was  Hark  ever  seen  again  in  that 
vicinity.  Sometimes  the  hunter,  when  engaged  in  the  mazes 
of  that  wild  morass,  fancied  he  heard  a  sound  like  that  of  a 
man  striking  his  feet  rapidly  on  the  ground,  and  it  was 
said  that  the  form  of  Hark  the  snake-killer  was  seen  gliding 
quietly  over  the  turbid  pools.  But  his  fate  remained  unknown  ; 
whether  in  his  solitary  wanderings  he  had  been  stung  to  death 
by  some  venomous  reptile  or  sunk  in  a  quagmire,  or  whether 
the  Evil  One,  who  seemed  to  have  long  since  marked  him  for 
his  prey,  had  carried  him  off,  none  could  conjecture.  It  is 
said  that  a  variety  of  noxious  animals  took  possession  of  the 
deserted  cabin,  as  if  in  triumph  over  their  persecutor ;  and 
when  it  was  visited  long  afterwards,  it  was  surrounded  by  a 
rank  growth  of  weeds,  and  the  entrance  choked  with  thorns 
and  briers ;  a  she-wolf  had  hidden  her  litter  under  the  ruins  of 
the  chimney  ;  a  numerous  colony  of  rattlesnakes  coiled  their 
loathsome  forms  beneath  the  dilapidated  floor,  and  the  roof 


HARPE'S   HEAD.  109 

afforded  a  congenial  solitude  to  the  bat ;  from  the  hollow  of  a 
blasted  tree  hard  by,  the  owl  shouted  a  savage  note  of  exulta- 
tion, and  a  thousand  voices  arising  out  of  the  green  and 
stagnant  pools,  proclaimed  that  the  tenants  of  the  swamp  had 
increased  in  number  and  security. 


\* 


HO  LEGENDS   OF   THE    WEST. 


CHAPTER    XII. 

nONTRARY  to  all  the  conjectures  which  had  been  formed 
V  respecting  him,  Hark  Short,  the  snake-killer,  was  still  in 
the  land  of  the  living.  Some  months  after  his  disappearance 
from  the  place  of  his  nativity,  he  presented  himself  nearly 
naked  and  almost  starved  at  the  house  of  a  farmer  in  Ken- 
tucky, where  he  was  received  in  conformity  with  the  hospit- 
able usages  of  that  country,  without  suspicion  or  question. 
It  was  enough  that  he  was  destitute  and  a  stranger.  He  was 
fed  and  clothed  and  continued  to  linger  about  the  house, 
wandering  off  in  the  daytime  to  the  woods  to  hunt  or  kill 
snakes,  and  creeping  quietly  into  the  cabin  at  night,  where  he 
nestled  in  a  blanket  upon  the  hearth,  with  his  feet  to  the 
fire.  When  called  upon  to  assist  in  any  of  the  labours  of  the 
farm,  he  complied  with  the  most  evident  distaste.  He  could 
not  handle  any  farming  implement  but  the  hoe  and  axe,  and 
these  but  awkwardly  ;  and  evinced  a  thorough  dislike  against 
all  domestic  animals.  If  sent  to  ride  a  horse  to  water,  or 
lead  him  to  the  stable,  he  was  sure  to  pinch  or  prick  the 
creature  with  a  thorn,  until  those  which  were  most  sagacious 
and  spirited  learned  to  show  their  antipathy  for  the  unlucky 
boy  by  laying  back  their  ears  whenever  he  approached.  In 
short,  he  could  do  nothing  useful  except  to  hunt  raccoons  and 
opossums  or  to  assist  the  farmer  in  catching  his  half-wild 
hogs,  which,  as  in  all  new  countries,  ran  at  large  in  the  woods. 
On  occasions  like  the  latter,  his  exploits  were  the  subjects  of 


HARPE'S  HEAD.  Ill 

wonder  and  merriment.  It  seemed  to  afford  him  an  honest 
pride  to  exhibit  a  genius  superior  to  that  of  the  swinish  mul- 
titude. He  was  an  overmatch  for  the  fiercest  and  most  bulky 
of  these  animals,  evincing  clearly  in  his  triumphs  the  vast 
disparity  between  intellect  and  instinct.  Having  selected  the 
object  on  which  to  exercise  his  dexterity,  he  would  lie  for 
hours  coiled  upon  a  log,  until  his  victim  approached,  or  would 
drag  his  body  along  the  ground  towards  it  so  slowly  that  the 
motion  was  imperceptible,  and  at  last  springing  upon  its  back, 
seized  the  bristles  with  his  left  hand,  and  press  his  heels  into 
its  flanks,  clinging  with  so  firm  a  grasp,  that  the  enraged 
animal  could  neither  assail  nor  dislodge  him.  until  he  brought 
his  prey  to  the  ground  by  passing  his  knife  into  its  throat. 
If  he  failed  to  alight  on  its  back,  or  if  his  position  was  un- 
favourable for  this  exploit,  he  seized  one  of  the  hinder  limbs, 
and  when  the  animal  happened  to  be  large  and  strong,  it 
would  dart  away  on  three  legs,  dragging  the  light  form  of 
Hark  rapidly  over  the  dried  leaves  and  fallen  timber.  But 
it  was  impossible  to  shake  him  off;  in  vain  did  the  enraged 
swine  dash  through  the  closed  thickets  or  plunge  into  the 
miry  swamps;  Hark  retained  his  hold  until  the  dogs  and  men 
came  to  his  relief. 

These  feats  gained  him  applause,  and  rendered  his  society 
tolerable  to  those  who  would  otherwise  have  been  disgusted 
with  his  unsocial  temper  and  uuamiable  habits.  The  only 
brute  that  he  could  endure  was  the  dog  ;  even  these  he  at  first 
viewed  with  manifest  symptoms  of  repugnance ;  but  after 
witnessing  their  good  qualities  in  c«itching  hogs,  and  hunting, 
he  admitted  that  if  dogs  would  not  bark,  they  might  be  made 
very  useful.  There  was  one  redeeming  quality  in  the  con- 
duct of  this  singular  being,  which  was  fondness  for  children. 
He  had  never  until  now  associated  with  any  of  the  human 
race  but  his  mother  ;  of  men  he  had  an  instinctive  dread,  and 
seemed  to  hate  the  whole  brute  creation;  towards  children  alone 
did  he  evince  a  show  of  kindness.  It  was  a  kindness  which 


112  LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 

displayed  itself  in  mute  and  almost  negative  actions,  like 
that  of  the  faithful  dog,  who  watches  the  playing  infant  with 
a  complacent  eye,  and  suffers  it  to  sport  with  his  paws  and 
teeth,  to  pull  his  ears,  and  even  to  torment  him,  without  the 
least  show  of  resentment. 

It  was  to  the  house  of  the  farmer  with  whom  Hark  had 
found  a  temporary  home,  that  the  prisoners  taken  at  Stan- 
ford were  brought,  on  the  evening  succeeding  their  arrest. 
On  their  approach,  the  boy,  who  sat  in  a  corner,  in  his  accus- 
tomed moody  silence,  was  the  first  to  hear  the  tramp  of 
horses.  Without  speaking  to  any  body,  he  rose,  stole  cau- 
tiously out,  and  under  the  shade  of  an  out-house  watched  the 
dismounting  horsemen.  With  his  usual  stealthy  habits,  he 
continued  to  linger  about,  listening  to  all  the  conversation  he 
could  catch,  without  making  his  appearance.  At  last,  as  if 
satisfied  that  no  immediate  danger  threatened  his  own  safety, 
he  entered  the  room  in  which  the  prisoners  had  been  lodged, 
veiling  his  constitutional  fear  of  strangers  under  an  assumed 
apathy  of  countenance,  or  only  betraying  it  by  an  occasional 
wild  and  timid  glance,  like  that  of  the  wolf,  who,  crouching 
in  his  den,  listens  to  the  distant  bayings  of  the  hunters' 
dogs. 

After  a  little  while,  the  men  who  guarded  the  prisoners 
left  the  apartment,  some  to  take  care  of  their  horses  and 
others  sauntering  around  the  house,  so  as  still  to  be  near 
enough  to  prevent  the  possibility  of  their  prisoners'  escape. 
The  latter  sat  upon  a  bench,  with  their  feet  bound  together, 
and  their  arms  strongly  pinioned  behind  them,  while  Hark 
continued  immovable  in  his  corner,  until  one  of  the  men,  in 
a  coarse  tone,  asked  him  for  a  drink  of  water.  The  boy 
arose,  and,  as  if  determined  to  profit  by  the  opportunity 
which  thus  presented  itself  of  indulging  his  curiosity  without 
hazard,  presented  a  gourd  of  water  with  one  hand,  while  he 
held  a  candle  with  the  other.  The  person  to  whose  lips  he 
held  the  cooling  draught,  who  was  the  larger  of  the  two 


HARPE'S  HEAD.  113 

felons,  looked  sternly  at  him  ;  their  eyes  met,  the  boy  seemed 
to  recoil,  but  the  features  of  both  their  countenances  retained 
their  imperturbable  apathy. 

"  Hark,"  said  the  man,  in  a  low,  harsh  voice,  "  do  you 
know  me  ?" 

The  boy  hesitated,  as  if  afraid  to  reply. 

"  Put  down  the  light,"  continued  the  man,  "  and  sit  near 
me." 

Hark  obeyed,  replaced  the  candle  on  a  table,  and  threw 
himself  on  the  floor  as  if  disposed  to  sleep,  yet  so  near  the 
man  as  to  hear  him  speak  in  a  low  tone. 

"  Do  you  know  me  ?"  was  again  repeated. 

"  Nobody  ever  saw  Big  Harpe,  and  not  know  him  again," 
replied  the  killer  of  snakes. 

"  Is  that  all  you  know  of  me  ?" 

"  Well — I  can't  say — in  peticklar," — replied  the  boy  in  evi- 
dent embarrassment ;  "  I  have  heern  tell  that  your  given 
name  was  Micajah." 

"  Did  you  never  hear  your  mother  speak  of  me  ?" 

"  Not — in  peticklar — as  I  know  of." 

"  Where  is  she  ?" 

"  Mammy's  dead." 

Here  a  pause  ensued. 

"  Will  you  do  me  a  service  ?"  resumed  Micajah. 

"  Did  you  ever  do  any  good  to  any  body  1"  asked  Hark. 

"None  of  your  business  !"  replied  the  man  fiercely,  but 
still  in  the  same  under-tone ;  "  how  dare  you  speak  to  me 
that  way,  you  stupid  wretch  ?" 

Hark  edged  a  little  further  off,  and  gazed  at  the  man  with 
intense  curiosity  and  fear,  while  his  limbs  shook  with  trepi- 
dation. 

The  felon  seemed  to  think  it  necessary  to  change  his  ground, 
and  try  the  effect  of  conciliation. 

"  And  so  your  mother's  dead — I'm  sorry — you  say  she 
never  spoke  about  me  1" 


114  LEGENDS   OF   THE- WEB  T. 

«  Not.  in  peticklar " 

"  But  she  said  something ;  I'd  like  to  know  what  it  was." 

"  Mammy  didn't  know  as  you'd  ever  hear  it." 

"  Then  it  was  something  bad  ]" 

"  Not  in  peticklar." 

"  Then  you  might  as  well  tell  me  what  it  was." 

"  It  would  make  you  mad," 

"No,  it  wouldn't — I  don't  mind  what  women  say,  no 
how." 

"  Well,  she  said,  if  any  body  was  to  rake  hell  with  a  fine- 
comb,  they  could  not  find  sich  a " 

Here  he  hesitated. 

"  Out  with  it,  boy." 

"  Sich  a  tarnal  villain." 

"  Was  that  all "?"  inquired  the  man  coolly,  and  as  if  dis- 
appointed in  not  getting  out  some  fact  which  he  was  endeav- 
ouring to  draw  from  his  stupid  companion — "  did  she  say 
nothing  more  ]" 

"  Well^I  don't  know  as  she  ever  said  any  thing  else,  in 
peticklar." 

"  Give  me  some  more  water,"  said  Harpe ;  and  as  the 
boy  held  the  gourd  to  his  lips,  instead  of  drinking,  he  whis- 
pered something,  in  a  hurried,  authoritative  tone.  Hark 
stepped  back  in  surprise  and  retreated  across  the  room,  much 
agitated.  He  then  resumed  his  former  position  in  the  corner 
most  distant  from  the  prisoners,  coiled  himself  up  upon  the 
floor,  and  appeared  to  sleep ;  and  when  the  men  composing 
the  guard  returned,  every  thing  seemed  quiet. 

As  the  night  wore  away,  these  hardy  backwoodsmen  con- 
tinued to  sit  to  a  late  hour  around  the  fire  ;  for  although  it 
was  early  in  the  autumn,  the  night  was  cool,  and  a  cheerful 
blaze  glowed  on  the  hearth.  They  amused  themselves  in 
conversing  of  their  early  homes  from  which  they  had  emi- 
grated, of  the  incidents  connected  with  their  journeys,  and  of 
their  adventures  in  hunting  and  war.  These  subjects  are  so 


HARPE'S    HEAD.  115 

interesting  as  always  to  awaken  attention,  and  they  became 
particularly  so  when  discussed  by  a  race  of  irien  .who  are  elo- 
quent by  nature,  and  speak  "with  a  freedom  of  sentiment  and 
fluency  of  language  which  are  not  found  in  any  other  people 
who  use  our  dialect. 

At  last,  one  of  the  hunters,  wrapping  a  blanket  about  his 
brawny  frame,  threw  himself  on  the  floor,  and  soon  slumbered 
with  a  soundness  which  the  bed  of  down  does  not  always 
afford  ;  another,  and  another,  followed  his  example,  until  two 
only,  who  were  appointed  for  the  purpose,  were  left  to  keep 
watch  over  the  prisoners,  for  whom  a  pallet  had  been  made 
upon  the  floor.  In  the  mean  while,  Hark  had  been  lying  in 
the  corner  unnoticed,  and  apparently  fast  asleep;  his  eyes 
were  closed,  and  those  who  might  have  looked  towards  him, 
would  not  have  been  able  to  discover,  by  the  uncertain  light, 
that  one  eyelid  was  partially  raised,  and  that,  while  seem- 
ingly asleep,  he  was  attentively  watching  all  that  passed.  He 
hud  changed  his  position  too,  unobserved,  and  the  prisoners 
having  been  placed  near  the  middle  of  the  small  apartment, 
he  was  now  lying  near  them. 

At  length,  one  of  the  guards  left  the  room,  and  the  other 
was  sitting  with  his  back  towards  the  prisoners,  intently  en- 
gaged in  cleaning  the  lock  of  his  rifle.  Hark  now  drew  him- 
self silently  along  the  floor,  until  he  placed  himself  in  contact 
with  the  pallet  of  the  captives,  then  passing  his  hand  rapidly 
under  the  blanket  which  covered  them  both,  cut  the  thongs 
which  bound  their  arms,  placed  the  knife  in  the  hand  of  the 
one  nearest  him,  and  hastily  resumed  his  former  place  in  the 
corner.  All  this  was  the  work  of  one  minute ;.  and  in  an- 
other, the  Harpes  were  on  their  feet  rushing  towards  the 
door,  and  the  sentinels  started  up  only  in  time  to  witness 
their  escape.  The  whole  company  was  instantly  alarmed  ; 
men  and  dogs  dashed  into  the  surrounding  thickets  in  eager 
pursuit,  but  the  murderers  eluded  their  skilful  search,  and  the 
party  returned  dispirited  and  angry  with  each  other.  An 


116  LEGENDS    OF    THE    WEST. 

animated  debate  occurred  as  to  the  cause  of  the  disaster,  but 
its  real  author  was  not  suspected  until  it  was  found  that 
Hark  was  missing.  In  the  confusion  of  the  first  alarm  he 
had  slipped  away,  and  was  seen  no  more  in  that  neighbour- 
hood. 


HARPE'S   HEAD.  117 


CHAPTEK    XIII. 


SOME  of  our  readers  are  perhaps  disposed  to  throw  this 
volume  aside,  in  disappointment  at  not  finding  in  it  any 
of  those  touching  love-scenes  which  constitute  the  charm  of 
most  novels.  It  will,  perhaps,  be  said  that  the  hero  is  the 
most  insignificant  character  in  the  book,  and  the  heroine  not 
half  so  interesting  as  some  of  the  other  personages.  This 
objection  has  been  urged  against  some  of  the  most  delightful 
pictures  in  our  language,  but  has  not  been  found  sufficient  to 
prevent  the  circulation  or  diminish  the  celebrity  of  those  ad- 
mirable works.  It  has  been  said  of  Scott  that  he  has  made 
his  heroes  secondary  characters,  while  the  highest  powers  of 
his  mighty  genius  have  been  employed  upon  those  who  play 
subordinate  parts.  We  may  admit  the  fact  as  stated,  with- 
out, by  any  means,  conceding  that  it  forms  a  valid  ground 
of  objection.  We  can  see  no  reason  for  the  assumption,  that 
the  young  gentleman,  the  story  of  whose  love  is  interwoven 
with  our  tale,  should,  as  a  matter  of  course,  be  intruded  upon 
the  reader  at  every  turning,  or  that  all  the  writer's  best  powers 
should  be  exhausted  in  embellishing  him,  who  being  already 
so  attractive  as  to  have  made  a  deep  impression  on  the  heart 
of  the  heroine,  ought  to  be,  in  all  conscience,  attractive 
enough  for  the  rest  of  the  world.  Besides,  we  wish  to  be 
permitted  to  tell  our  story  in  our  own  way,  and  to  pass  our 
hero  in  silence  until  we  find  him  achieving  some  adventure 
worthy  of  being  told.  As  for  love  matters,  we  have  little 


118  LEGENDS   OF   THE    WEST. 

taste  for  them,  and  are  content  to  leave  them  to  be  imagined 
by  our  tasteful  and  sentimental  readers. 

If  there  be  any  who  are  disposed  to  listen  to  a  dry  detail 
of  events,  which  are  necessary  to  explain  and  connect  the  cir- 
cumstances which  have  been  hinted  at  in  this  history,  we  shall 
introduce  them  into  a  small  Dutch  tavern  on  the  frontiers  of 
the  settled  part  of  Pennsylvania.  It  was  a  stone  house,  built 
with  an  attention  to  solidity  which  showed  that  the  proprietor 
entertained  the  hope  of  transmitting  it  to  his  descendants.  On 
the  sign-board,  which  hung  conspicuously  before  the  door,  was 
painted  the  bust  of  a  woman  with  arms  extended  and  with  a 
great  suit  of  long  hair  streaming  like  a  birch  broom  down  her 
back,  grasping  a  looking-glass  in  one  hand  and  a  comb  in  the 
other,  while  the  lower  extremity  of  the  figure  tapered  off  into 
something  resembling  the  tail  of  a  sea-serpent.  Over  this 
singular  representation  was  written  "  THE  MARE  MADE,"  and 
underneath,  "By  Jacob  Shultzhoover."  The  front  door 
opened  into  a  bar-room,  in  the  centre  of  which  was  placed  a 
large  tin-plate  stove,  around  whose  heated  sides  was  collected 
a  circle  of  teamsters,  smoking  their  pipes,  and  conversing  with 
all  convenient  deliberation  in  the  harmonious  accents  of  the 
Dutch  language.  In  a  back  roomj  similarly  warmed,  was  a 
table  from  which  a  traveller  had  lately  risen,  and  over  whose 
ample  surface  was  scattered  in  gigantic  ruin  the  remains  of  a 
great  dish  of  sour-kraut  and  pork,  the  relic  of  a  capacious 
apple-pie,  and  a  rye  loaf,  flanked  by  pitchers  of  cider  and  milk. 
Several  bouncing  girls,  with  faces  "round  as  my  shield," 
rotund  forms,  and  fleshy  sun-burnt  arms  bare  to  the  elbow, 
were  clearing  away  the  wreck  of  the  evening  meal  with  a  mar- 
vellous activity,  simpering  and  smiling  all  the  while,  as  they 
covertly  peeped  at  the  handsome  young  gentleman  who  sat 
picking  his  teeth  "by  the  stove,  so  deeply  plunged  in  medita- 
tion as  not  to  notice  what  was  passing  around  him.  I  am  not 
aware  whether  picking  the  teeth  is  altogether  heroic,  but  a  fit 
of  abstraction  is  the  very  thing — it  looks  so  lover-like  and 


HARPE'S    HEAD.  119 

interesting.  This  meditative  gentleman  was  our  friend  Mr. 
Fennirnore,  who  was  hastening  to  join  the  army  on  the  front- 
ier. -  Shortly  after  supper  he  retired  to  his  chamber,  took  a 
sot  of  writing  materials  from  his  valise,  and  'spent  the  evening 
in  composing  a  long  letter,  from  which  we  shall  take  the  liberty 
of  making  some  extracts  : 

Lieut.  Lyttleton  Fennimore,  to  C.  Wallace,  Esq, 

"  My  father  was  a  native  of  England,  who  came  to  Virginia 
when  he  was  quite  a  young  man.  He  was  of  a  good  family, 
and  well  educated;  if  my  mother  be  considered  a  competent 
witness  in  such  a  case,  he  was  even  more, — highly  accom- 
plished and  remarkably  interesting  in  person  and  manners. 
He  brought  letters  of  introduction  and  was  well  received  ;  and 
as  soon  as  it  was  understood  that  his  extreme  indigence  was 
such  as.  to  render  it  necessary  that  he  should  embark  in  some 
employment  to  earn  a  support,  he  was  readily  received  as 
private  tutor  in  the  family  of  a  gentleman  residing  not  far 
from  Mr.  Heyward,  the  father  of  the  late  Major  Heyward, 
whose  melancholy  death  I  have  described  to  you.  Mr.  Hey- 
ward also  employed  .him  to  give  lessons  in  drawing  and  the 
French  language  to  his  only  daughter,  then  a  girl  .of  about 
seventeen.  A  mutual  attachment  ensued  between  my  father 
and  this  young  lady,  which  was  carefully  concealed,  because 
the  Heywards,  though  generous  and  hospitable,  were  proud 
and  aspiring. 

"  I  do  not  know  how.  it  was  that  my  father  became,  unpop- 
ular among  the  young  gentlemen  of  the  neighbourhood.  His 
manners  might  not  have  been  sufficiently  conciliating,  or  his 
spirit  might  have  been  above  his  station,  and  have  prompted 
him  to  exact  attentions  which  were  not  thought  due  to  a  pri- 
vate tutor.  Perhaps  his  attentions  to  Miss  Heyward  were 
suspected,  and  regarded  as  presumptuous.  Whatever  might 
have  been  the  cause,  the  result  was  that  he  was  coolly  received 
in  society  and  subjected  to  many  petty  indignities.  The 

\^rw--. '" 
1     * 


120  LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 

younger  Mr.  Hey  ward,  who  had  at  first  treated  him  with  kind- 
ness, no  sooner  suspected  him  of  paying  attentions  to  his  sis- 
ter, to  whom  he  was  tenderly  attached,  than  he  became  his 
violent  enemy,  and  insisted  on  his  immediate  discharge.  The 
elder  Mr.  Heyward,  too  magnanimous  to  do  a  deliberate  act 
of  injustice,  took  time  for  reflection.  During  this  interval  an 
event  occurred  which  brought  matters  to  a  crisis. 

"  Although  the  American  colonies  were  at  that  time  loyal 
to  the  British  king,  and  no  plan  of  revolution  had  been 
matured,  yet  extensive  discontents  prevailed,  and  language  of 
the  strongest  reprehension  against  the  ministry  was  currently 
used.  My  father  had,  in  writing  to  England,  drawn  a  vivid 
picture  of  the  state  of  public  sentiment  in  Virginia,  and  the 
letter  having  been  shown  to  a  cabinet  minister,  he  was  so  well 
pleased  with  the  spirit  displayed  in  it,  as  well  as  with  the 
talents  of  the  writer,  that  he  intimated  a  wish  that  the 
correspondence  should  be  kept  up.  This  led  to  a  series  of 
letters,  written  by  my  father,  expressly  for  the  eye  of  the 
minister.  He  was  a  Briton  by  birth  and  allegiance,  and  did 
nothing  dishonourable  in  acting  thus,  as  an  agent  of  the  gov- 
ernment; and  as  he  adhered  strictly  to  truth,  and  depicted  the 
motives  of  the  colonists  even  in  favourable  colours,  he  could  not 
be  justly  considered  as  violating  hospitality.  This  correspond- 
ence, however,  was  discovered  ;  its  author  was  represented  as 
a  spy,  and  loaded  with  all  the  opprobrium  which  the  indigna- 
tion of  an  enraged  community  could  suggest.  Nothing  but 
sudden  flight  could  have  saved  his  life.  Miss  Heyward  was 
the  first  to  warn  him  of  his  danger.  Having  already  given 
him  her  affections,  and  being  prepared  to  share  his  fortunes, 
she  proved  her  sincerity  and  her  devotion  by  nobly  consenting 
to  elope  with  him  and  become  the  companion  of  his  poverty 
and  misfortune.  They  commenced  their  flight  at  the  dawn  of 
day,  and  before  its  close  had  indissolubly  united  their  fates  by 
the  marriage  bond. 

"  They  retired  for  a  while  from  notice,  hoping  that  my 


H  A  R  p  K  "  s    HEAD.  121 

mother's  friends  would  become  reconciled ;  but  this  expecta- 
tion proved  deceptive.  Major  Heyward,  though  of  a  gener- 
ous disposition,  was  a  man  of  aristocratic  feelings  ;  he  loved 
his  sister  tenderly,  and  had,  perhaps,  indulged  some  views  in 
relation  to  her  settlement  in  life  which  were  blasted  by  her 
marriage  with  my  father.  He  had  also  a  great  antipathy  to 
foreigners,  and  considered  his  family  degraded  by  the  mar- 
riage of  one  of  its  members  with  a  person  who,  however 
estimable,  was  an  alien  to  our  country.  For  even  at  that 
early  period,  many  of  the  oldest  families  among  the  colonists 
felt  a  pride  in  their  native  land,  and  gloried  in  the  name  of 
American,  though  it  was  then  but  a  name.  He  refused  to  be 
reconciled  to  my  mother  on  any  terms,  and  spoke  of  my 
father  in  language  which  forbade  any  subsequent  advance  on 
their  part.  They  settled  in  Philadelphia,  where  they-  lived  in 
the  most  retired  manner,  supported  by  the  scanty  pittance 
earned  by  my  father  as  a  merchant's  clerk.  Of  that  unfor- 
tunate parent  I  have  no  recollection,  for  he  died  while  I  was 
an  infant.  My  mother,  left  penniless  in  a  strange  city,  was 
reduced  to  a  state  of  extreme  necessity,  but  her  pride  would 
not  permit  her  to  return  to  her  father's  house,  where  she 
would  now  undoubtedly  have  been  received  with  open  arms. 
You  have  seen  my  excellent  mother,  and  you  know  that  she 
is  a  woman  of  uncommon  talents  and  remarkable  fortitude. 
When  thus  thrown  upon  her  own  resources,  she  resolved  to 
make  the  best  of  her  unfortunate  situation.  She  took  a  se- 
cluded lodging,  and  applied  herself  with  unwearied  industry 
to  her  needle ;  and  being  patronized  by  several  fashionable 
ladies,  maintained  herself  creditably,  though  with  extreme 
frugality,  by  fabricating  the  most  elegant  and  expensive  ar- 
ticles of  female  dress.  Her  taste  and  skill  in  these  delicate 
manufactures  were  unrivalled.  I  cannot  express  the  feelings 
of  anguish  which  I  experienced,  while  a  mere  child,  in  wit- 
nessing the  silent,  the  incessant  toils  of  my  mother,  which 
were  secretly  undermining  her  health,  and  the  devotion  with 
6 


122  LEGENDS    OF    THE    WEST. 

which  all  her  affections  were  concentrated  in  myself,  the  only 
earthly  object  of  her  regard.  And  I  can  remember,  too,  the 
fervour  with  which  I  mentally  vowed  to  devote  my  whole  life 
to  her  service.  The  death  of  a  relative  of  my  father  in  Eng- 
land placed  us  in  possession  of  a  small  annuity,  which  re- 
lieved my  excellent  mother  from  the  necessity  of  labouring 
for  a  support,  and  enabled  her  to  educate  me  in  a  manner 
suitable  to  her  wishes  ;  though  we  were  still  poor,  and  obliged, 
as  you  are  aware,  to  live  in  the  most  frugal  manner. 

"  At  the  decease  of  my  grandfather,  Mr.  Heyward,  we 
learned  that  a  considerable  sum  of  money  would  fall  to  my 
mother,  under  the  provisions  of  a  settlement  made  at  the 
marriage  of  her  parents.  But  again  her  pride  and  her 
wounded  feelings  induced  her  to  prefer  obscure  indigence 
rather  than  make  her  situation  known  in  any  manner  to  her 
family ;  nor  until  I  became  old  enough  to  take  the  manage- 
ment of  my  affairs  into  my  own  hands,  would  she  consent  to 
have  her  claim  investigated.  This  was  the  purpose  of  my 
visit  to  Virginia.  I  have  detailed  to  you  most  of  the  events 
attending  that  visit :  it  is  enough  to  add,  that  my  uncle 
satisfied  me  that  we  had  been  misinformed.  No  marriage 
settlement  had  ever  existed,  his  father  died  intestate,  and  he, 
under  the  rule  of  primogeniture,  which  then  prevailed  in  Vir- 
ginia, was  the  sole  heir.  Thus  a  hope  long  cherished  in  secret 
by  my  mother  was  in  a  moment  blasted." 


HARPE'S   HEAD.  123 


CHAPTEE    XIV. 

AT  the  close  of  a  fine  autumn  day,  a  solitary  traveller  found 
himself  bewildered  among  the  labyrinths  of  the  forest, 
near  the  shores  of  the  Ohio.  He  had  taken  his  departure 
early  in  the  morning  from  the  cabin  of  a  hunter,  to  whose 
hospitality  he  had  been  indebted  for  his  last  night's  lodging 
and  supper — if  that  deserves  the  name  of  hospitality  which 
consisted  of  little  more  than  a  permission  to  spread  his  blan- 
ket and  eat  his  provisions  by  the  woodman's  fire.  We  call 
it  so  because  it  was  granted  in  a  spirit  of  kindness.  When 
he  parted  from  his  host  in  the  morning,  he  learned  that  the 
settlement  to  which  he  was  destined  was  fifty  miles  distant, 
and  he  spurred  onward  in  the  confident  hope  of  reaching  his 
journey's  end  ere  the  setting  in  of  night.  Before  the  day 
was  half  spent,  he  began  to  suspect  that  he  had  taken  the 
wrong  path  ;  but  unwilling  to  retrace  his  steps,  he  still  pushed 
on  in  the  expectation  of  meeting  with  some  human  habitation 
from  which  he  could  take  a  new  departure. 

It  was,  as  we  have  before  remarked,  forty  years  ago,  and 
this  country  was  still  a  wilderness ;  the  Indian  tribes  had 
been  driven  to  the  opposite  shore  of  the  Ohio,  but  continued 
to  revisit  their  ancient  hunting-grounds,  sometimes  in  peace, 
but  oftener  impelled  to  war  by  their  insatiable  appetite  for 
plunder  and  revenge.  Small  colonies  were  thinly  scattered 
throughout  the  whole  of  this  region,  maintaining  themselves 
by  constant  watchfulness  and  courage,  and  every  here  and 


134  LEGENDS    OF    THE    WEST. 

there  a  station— a,  rude  block-house  surrounded  with  palisades 
—afforded  shelter  to  the  traveller,  and  refuge  in  time  of 
danger  to  all  within  its  reach.  Between  these  settlements, 
extensive  tracts  remained  uninhabited  and  pathless,  blooming 
in  all  the  native  luxuriance  and  savage  grace  which  had  cap- 
tivated the  heart  of  their  earliest  admirer  among  the  whites, 
the  fearless  and  enterprising  Boon. 

On  the  same  evening,  Mr.  Timothy  Jenkins,  the  sole  pro- 
prietor, occupant,  and  commander  of  "  Jenkins'  Station," 
might  be  seen  alternately  plying  his  axe,  with  a  skill  and 
vigour  of  which  a  backwoodsman  alone  is  master,  and  shoul- 
dering huge  logs  of  wood,  under  the  burthen  of  which  any 
other  sinews  than  such  as  were  accustomed  to  the  labour  would 
have  been  rent  asunder.  It  was  evident  that  Captain  Jenkins 
was  preparing  for  a  vigorous  defence  of  his  garrison  against 
an  enemy  of  no  mean  importance,  and  was  determined  to 
guard  against  the  inroads  of  a  hard  frost,  by  building  a  log 
neap  in  his  fire-place.  That  the  latter  was  of  no  ordinary 
dimensions  might  have  been  readily  inferred  from  the  quan- 
tity of  fuel  required  to  fill  it ;  for  Timothy,  like  a  true  Ken- 
tuckian,  never  considered  his  fire  made  until  the  hearth  was 
stowed  full  of  the  largest  logs  which  his  herculean  limbs  en- 
abled him  to  carry.  An  unpractised  observer  might  have 
supposed  that  he  was  laying  in  a  supply  of  fuel  for  the  win- 
ter, when  the  hospitable  landlord  was  only  performing  a  daily 
labour.  And  here  it  is  necessary  to  inform  those  who  have 
not  enjoyed  the  luxury  of  reposing  in  a  cabin,  that  the  fire- 
place is  generally  about  eight  feet  in  width,  and  four  or  five 
in  depth,  so  as  to  contain  conveniently  about  a  quarter  of  a 
cord  of  wood,  which  quantity  produces  a  cheerful  warmth, 
the  more  necessary  as  the  doors  are  left  standing  open. 

Having  performed  this  duty,  Captain  Jenkins  threw  down 
his  axe  with  the  air  of  one  greatly  relieved  by  having  gotten 
fairly  through  a  disagreeable  job,  and  relaxing  into  the  ordi- 
nary indolence  of  manner,  from  which  the  momentary  stimulus 


HARPK'S    HEAD.  125 

of  necessary  exertion  had  aroused  him,  sauntered  round  his 
enclosure  with  one  of  his  hard  bony  hands  stuffed  in  either 
pocket.  Perceiving  that  an  aperture  had  been  made  in  the 
outworks  by  the  removal  of  one  or  two  of  his  pickets,  which 
had  rotted  off  and  fallen  to  the  ground,  he  proceeded  to  close 
the  breach. 

"  They  are  of  no  use,  no  how,"  said  the  Captain  ;  "  the 
Indians  have  not  paid  me  a  visit  these  eighteen  months,  and 
may  never  come  back.  It  seems  right  hard  to  be  at  the  trou- 
ble of  barricading  them  out  when  they  don't  try  to  get  in ; 
but,  howsever,"  he  continued,  as  he  raised  the  prostrate  tim- 
bers and  propped  them  in  their  places,  "  I'll  put  the  wooden 
sogers  on  post  again,  if  it's  only  for  a  show — they  keep  the 
hogs  and  wild  varments  out,  and  if  an  inemy  should  come,  it 
will  sort  o'  puzzle  'em  to  find  out  the  weak  place."  Having 
thus  compromised  with  his  indolence,  he  stopped  the  breach 
in  such  a  manner  as  to  have  deceived  the  eye  of  a  hasty 
observer,  and  returned  to  the  house,  hastened  by  the  sound 
of  loud  talking  and  mirth  which  proceeded  from  his 
guests. 

The  fortress  popularly  known  as  "  Jenkins'  Station,"  con- 
sisted simply  of  a  circular  enclosure,  formed  by  a  picketing 
composed  of  long  sticks  of  timber  planted  firmly  in  the 
ground,  and  was  intended  to  protect  the  domicil  of  honest 
Timothy  against  a  sudden  onset  of  the  Indians.  At  that 
period  every  farmer  who  ventured  to  pitch  his  tent  in  advance 
of  the  settlements,  fortified  his  house  in  this  manner ;  others 
who  followed  settled  around  him,  and  sought  shelter  in  the 
station  upon  any  sudden  emergency.  Thus  these  places, 
although  private  property,  partook  of  the  nature  of  public 
defences,  and  became  widely  known  :  the  travellers  made 
their  way  from  one  station  to  another,  so  that  they  also 
became  houses  of  entertainment,  and  those  of  the  owners  of 
them  who  would  accept  pay  from  wayfaring  persons,  were,  in 
a  manner,  forced  into  the  business  of  tavern-keepers.  The  pro- 


f 

126  LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 

prietor,  moreover,  became  a  captain,  by  common  consent ; 
because  as  the  people  gathered  here  in  time  of  danger,  and  it 
was  natural  that  he  should  command  in  his  own  house,  that 
office  fell  to  him  during  a  siege,  and  of  course  pertained  to 
him  through  life.  And  such  is  the  love  of  military  titles 
among  a  people  who  are  mostly  descended  from  warlike 
ancestors,  that  however  the  individual  thus  honoured  may  be 
afterwards  distinguished,  though  he  may  become  a  legislator, 
or  even  a  magistrate,  his  military  designation  is  seldom 
merged  in  any  other. 

The  dwelling  of  Captain  Jenkins  was  composed  of  two 
log  houses,  covered  under  the  same  roof  so  as  to  leave  a 
wide  passage  between  them,  after  the  most  approved  fashion 
of  a  Kentucky  log  cabin.  Round  the  fire-place,  which  occu- 
pied nearly  the  whole  gable-end  of  the  house,  sat  five  or  six 
men  recently  dismounted  from  their  horses,  who  were  com- 
pensating themselves  for  the  fatigue  and  abstinence  of  a  day's 
travel,  from  the  contents  of  a  bottle  which  was  circulating 
rapidly  among  them. 

"  Come  on,  Tim  Jenkins,"  said  one  of  them  to  the  land- 
lord, as  he  entered,  "  step  forrard,  and  touch  the  blue  bottle 
to  your  lips.  Your  whiskey  is  as  good  as  your  fire  ;  and  that 
is  saying  a  great  deal,  for  you  are  the  severest  old  beaver  to 
tote  wood  that  I've  seen  for  many  a  long  day." 

"  I  like  to  warm  my  friends  inside  as  well  as  out,  when 
they  call  on  me,"  rejoined  Jenkins,  "  the  nights  are  getting 
powerful  cold,  and  they  say  it's  not  good  for  a  man  to  lie 
down  to  sleep  with  a  chill  in  his  blood." 

"  I  say  so  too,"  said  the  other  :  "  I  don't  know  what  cold 
is  good  for,  except  to  give  a  man  an  appetite  for  his 
liquor " 

"  Or  long  nights,"  continued  the  host,  "  but  to  get  sober  in 
— so  here's  good  luck  to  you,  Mr.  Patterson,  and  to  you  gen- 
tlemen, all." 

At  this  moment  the  attention  of  the  company  was  arrested 


HARI-E'S   HEAD.  127 

by  a  loud  "  hallo !"  uttered  without,  and  Mr.  Jenkins  hastened 
to  receive  a  new  guest.  He  soon  returned,  introducing  a 
young  gentleman  of  a  very  prepossessing  appearance,  whose 
dress  and  manners  announced  him  as  an  inhabitant  of  a  more 
polished  country  than  that  in  which  he  found  himself.  It  was 
our  friend  Mr.  George  Lee,  who  having  been  lost  in  the  forest, 
as  we  have  seen,  had  continued  to  grope  his  way  in  great  per- 
plexity, until  he  chanced  to  fall  into  a  path  which  led  to  the 
"  Station."  Bowing  cheerfully  to  the  rough  sons  of  the 
forest,  as  they  greeted  him  with  the  usual  "  How  d'ye  do, 
stranger  T'  he  seated  himself  and  began  to  throw  off  his  spurs, 
leggins,  gloves,  and  other  travelling  accoutrements,  while 
Patterson  and  his  companions,  after  a  passing  glance,  resumed 
their  bottle  and  their  mirth. 

Tired  and  cold,  Mr.  Lee  drew  his  chair  towards  the  fire, 
and  remained  for  a  time  in  the  enjoyment  of  its  comfort- 
able warmth.  Patterson  sat  by  the  table  replenishing  his 
glass  and  pressing  his  companions  to  drink,  talking  all  the 
while  in  a  loud  and  overbearing  tone,  and  growing  more  and 
more  boisterous,  until  the  annoyance  awakened  Mr.  Lee  from 
a  kind  of  stupour  that  was  creeping  over  him.  He  raised  his 
head,  and  discovered  the  eyes  of  one  of  the  party  fixed  upon 
him,  with  a  gaze  so  eager  and  so  malignant  as  to  attract  his 
own  instant  attention.  The  man,  whose  countenance  displayed 
nothing  remarkable,  except  a  ferocity  unmingled  with  the 
least  touch  of  human  feeling,  no  sooner  caught  the  eye  of  the 
young  traveller  than  he  drew  back,  as  if  to  avoid  obser- 
vation. 

Mr.  George  Lee  was  a  young  gentleman  by  no  means 
remarkable  for  penetration  ;  but  he  was  bold  and  manly,  had 
mixed  with  the  world  more  than  most  persons  of  his  years, 
and  had  a  tolerable  faculty  of  knowing  men  by  their  looks — 
a  faculty  which  by  no  means  evinces  a  high  degree  of  intellect, 
but  more  frequently  is  found  in  ordinary  minds.  He  looked 
round  upon  the  company  into  which  he  had  been  accidentally 


128  LEGENDS   OP   THE  WEST. 

thrown,  and  for  the  first  time  his  eye  rested  upon  the  savage 
features  of  Patterson.  The  latter  was  a  large  stout  man,  evi- 
dently endued  with  more  than  common  strength.  There  was 
a  considerable  degree  of  sagacity  in  his  countenance,  and  his 
strong  peculiar  language  seemed  to  be  that  of  one  accustomed 
to  think  and  speak  without  constraint.  His  blood-shot  eye 
and  bloated  skin  betokened  habitual  intemperance  ;  the  fierce 
and  remorseless  expression  of  his  face  was  rendered  more  ter- 
rific by  a  large  scar  on  his  forehead  and  another  on  his  cheek, 
while  the  whole  appearance  of  the  man  was  bold,  impudent, 
and  abandoned.  He  possessed,  or  what  wras  more  likely, 
affected,  joviality  and  humour,  continually  pressing  his  com- 
panions-to  drink,  and  giving  to  every  remark  a  strangely  ex- 
travagant and  original  turn,  which  always  created  laughter. 
Another  peculiarity  was  the  loudness  of  his  coarse  voice — 
partly  from  habit,  partly  out  of  an  assumed  frankness  and  an 
affectation  of  not  caring  who  heard  him,  and  partly  to  pro- 
duce an  impression  of  his  superiority  upon  those  around  him  ; 
he  always  spoke  as  loud  even  in  a  small  room  as  another  per- 
son would  in  haranguing  a  multitude.  But  when  intoxicated, 
this  peculiarity  became  very  striking  ;  then  he  bellowed  and 
roared — uttering  his  sentiments  with  an  astonishing  energy  of 
language  and  a  horrible  profusion  of  the  most  terrific  oaths, 
in  a  voice  naturally  loud,  and  now  pitched  to  its  highest  and 
harshest  note,  and  with  a  wonderful  vehemence  of  gesture. 
This  characteristic  had  gained  for  him  the  nickname  of  "  Roar- 
ing Bob,"  by  which  he  was  as  well  known  as  by  his  proper 
Christian  and  surnames. 

Our  friend  George  Lee,  who  had  never  before  seen  a  man 
whose  presence  excited  so  much  disgust,  turned  from  him  and 
looked  round  upon  his  associates.  They  were  a  villainous  and 
ruffian  set,  who  seemed  fit  instruments  to  perpetrate  any  crime 
however  base  or  bloody.  There  was  one  person  present,  how- 
ever, whose  countenance  drew  his  regard  the  more  forcibly, 
from  the  contrast  it  presented  with  those  around.  It  was  that 


HARPE'S   HEAD.  129 

of  a  young  man  whose  placid  features  and  neat  though  coarse 
dress  indicated  an  acquaintance  with  the  decencies  of  social 
life.  There  was  a  fine  expression  of  ingenuousness  in  his  face, 
and  his  clear  blue  eye  sparkled  with  vivacity  and  intelligence. 
He  seemed  to  be  under  some  constraint,  for  although  addressed 
by  the  party  as  an  acquaintance,  his  answers  were  brief,  and 
while  he  treated  them  with  civility,  he  appeared  to  be  not 
disposed  to  join  their  conversation  or  share  their  mirth.  At 
an  early  hour  a  plentiful  supper  was  spread,  to  which  the 
whole  of  this  ill-assorted  party  sat  down ;  and  immediately 
after,  Mr.  Lee,  pleading  fatigue,  retired  to  repose. 

A  weary  traveller  needs  no  poppies  strewn  upon  his  pillow 
"to  medicine  him  to  that  sweet  sleep"  which  is  the  reward  of 
toil ;  and  on  this  occasion,  although  the  imagination  of  our 
friend  George,  never  very  active,  was  considerably  exeited  by 
the  novel  scenes  he  had  just  witnessed,  his  reflections  were 
soon  drowned  in  forgetfulness.  He  had  not  slept  long  when 
his  slumber  was  suddenly  broken  by  a  cold  hand  which 
grasped  him  by  the  shoulder.  He  started  up  in  alarm,  and 
was  about  to  speak,  but  was  prevented  by  a  voice  addressing 
him  in  a  firm  but  hurried  tone,  eo  low  as  to  be  barely  audible  : 
"  Do  not  speak — you  are  in  clanger — rise  and  follow  me — be 
quick  and  silent !"  The  first  impulse  of  the  traveller's  mind 
was  distrust  towards  his  mysterious  visitor,  for  whose  secret 
warning  he  could  not  readily  perceive  any  rational  ground ; 
but  as  he  proceeded  mechanically  to  obey  the  mandate,  his 
generous  nature,  not  easily  awakened  to  suspicion,  repelled 
the  hasty  suggestion  of  doubt,  and  induced  him  to  follow  his 
guide  with  confidence.  The  latter,  again  cautioning  him  to 
silence,  led  the  way  to  the  open  air,  and  proceeding  under  the 
shadow  of  the  house  to  an  aperture  in  the  stockade,  passed  out 
of  the  enclosure  and  hastily  penetrated  into  the  forest. 

Mr.  Lee  pursued  the  rapid  but  noiseless  footsteps  of  his 
conductor,  amazed  at  the  suddenness  of  the  adventure,  and 
perplexed  with  his  own  endeavours  to  guess  its  probable  cause 
6* 


130  LEGENDS    OF   THE    WEST. 

or  issue.  It  will  be  readily  imagined  that  his  conjectures 
could  lead  to  no  satisfactory  conclusion,  and  that  his  situation 
— decoyed  into  the  solitude  and  darkness  of  the  forest,  by  a 
stranger — perhaps  one  of  those  whose  felon  glances  had 
attracted  his  attention — was  such  as  to  have  created  alarm  in 
the  stoutest  heart.  Yet  there  is  something  in  every  young 
and  chivalric  bosom  which  welcomes  danger  when  it  assumes 
an  air  of  romance  ;  and  George  Lee,  while  internally  blaming 
his  own  imprudence,  which  seemed  to  be  leading  him  from  a 
fancied  to  a  real  danger,  could  not  resist  the  curiosity  which 
he  felt  to  develop  the  mystery,  nor  resolve  to  abandon  an 
adventure  which  promised  at  least  novelty.  His  uncertainty 
was  of  short  duration ;  for  his  guide  after  a  few  minutes'  rapid 
walking  emerged  into  an  open  clearing  and  halted  ;  and  as  he 
stood  exposed  in  the  clear  moonlight,  Mr.  Lee  had  no  diffi- 
culty in  recognising  the  young  forester  whose  prepossessing 
appearance  he  had  remarked  as  affording  so  strong  a  contrast 
to  the  suspicious  looks  and  brutal  manners  of  his  associates. 

Pointing  to  a  ruined  cabin  near  which  they  stood,  "  It  is 
fortunate  for  you,  sir,"  said  the  guide,  "  that  our  landlord's 
stable  within  the  stockade  was  rilled  before  you  arrived,  and 
that  your  good  nag  was  sent  to  this  sorry  roof  for  shelter." 

"  I  shall  be  better  able  to  appreciate  my  good  fortune," 
said  Lee,  endeavouring  to  imitate  the  composure  with  which 
the  other  had  spoken,  "  when  I  learn  in  what  manner  I  am  to 
be  benefited  by  the  bad  lodging  of  my  horse." 

t:By  the  badness  of  his  lodging  nothing,"  said  the  other, 
"  by  its  privacy,  much — to  be  brief,  you  must  fly." 

"  Fly  !  when — how  ?" 

"  Now ;  upon  your  horse,  unless  you  prefer  some  other 
mode  of  travelling." 

"  Fly  !"  repeated  Mr.  Lee  incredulously,  "  from  what  ?" 

"  From  danger — pressing  and  immediate  danger." 

The  young  traveller  stood  for  a  moment  irresolute,  gazing 
at  the  placid  features  of  the  backwoodsman,  as  if  endeavouring 


HARPED    HEAD.  131 

to  dive  into  his  thoughts.  His  embarrassed  air  and  suspicious 
glance  did  not  escape  the  forester,  who  inquired, 

"  Are  you  satisfied  ? — will  you  confide  in  me  f 

"  I  cannot  choose  but  trust  you — and  there  is  that  in  your 
countenance  which  tells  me  my  confidence  will  not  be  mis- 
placed ;  I  only  hesitated  under  the  suspicion  that  1  was  to  be 
ma.de  the  subject  of  some  idle  jest." 

"  I  have  been  too  familiar  with  danger,"  said  the  other,  "  to 
consider  it  a  fit  subject  for  pleasantry.  Had  you  looked  death 
in  the  face  as  often  as  I  have  done,  you  would  have  learned  to 
recognise  the  warning  voice  of  a  friend  who  tells  you  of  its 
approach." 

"  Enough,"  replied  Lee,  "pardon  my  hasty  suspicion — and 
let  me  know  what  has  excited  your  apprehensions  for  my 
safety." 

"  First  let  us  saddle  your  horse, — we  delay  here  too  long." 
So  saying,  the  young  woodsman  hastened  into  the  cabin  and 
with  Mr.  Lee's  assistance  equipped  the  gallant  steed,  whom 
they  found  sounding  his  nostrils  over  a  full  trough,  with  a 
vigour  which  announced  as  well  the  keenness  of  his  appetite  as 
the  excellence  of  his  food. 

"  Your  nag  has  a  good  stomach  for  his  corn,"  said  the 
backwpodsman,  leading  him  out  into  the  moonlight,  "  and  if 
he  does  not  belie  his  looks,  he  travels  as  well  as  he  feeds;" 
and  without  waiting  for  a  reply  he  threw  the  bridle  over  the 
animal's  neck,  and  returning  into  the  cabin,  produced  the  bag- 
gage, great-coat,  and  other  equipments  of  Lee,  who  now  more 
than  ever  astonished  at  the  conduct  of  his  companion  pre- 
pared in  silence  for  his  journey. 

"  Are  you  ready  ?"  said  the  forester. 

"  I  am  ready." 

"  Then  mount,  and  follow  me." 

"  The  guide  struck  into  the  woods,  and  proceeding  with 
the  same  noiseless  steps  which  Lee  had  before  remarked, 
strode  forward  with  a  rapidity  to  which  neither  the  darkness 


132  LEGENDS   OF    THE   WEST. 

of  the  forest  nor  the  thick  undergrowth  of  tangled  bushes 
seemed  to  present  any  obstacle.  They  proceeded  in  silence, 
the  horse  following  instinctively  the  footsteps  of  the  forester, 
until  the  latter  striking  into  a  hard  foot-path  halted,  and  ad- 
vancing to  the  horseman's  side,  placed  his  hand  on  the  pum- 
mel of  the  saddle. 

"  With  common  prudence  you  are  now  safe,"  said  he— and 
after  a  moment's  hesitation  he  continued  in  a  low  rapid  tone : 
"  those  scoundrels  in  the  house  have  laid  a  plan  to  rob  and 
murder  you." 

"  Is  it  possible  ?     Can  they  be  such  base " 

"It  is  true — I  have  not  alarmed  you  on  bare  suspicion.  I 
overheard  their  plan — and  knowing  the  men,  I  was  satisfied 
that  you  could  save  your  life  only  by  flight." 

"But  our  landlord — surely  he  is  not  privy  to  their  de- 
sign." 

"  He  is  not." 

"  Why  then  should  1  fly  ?  If  he  and  yourself  will  stand 
by  me,  I  could  defy  a  regiment  of  such  fellows." 

"  You  do  not  know  your  danger — to  return  would  be  mad- 
ness— Jenkins,  though  an  honest,  is  a  timid  man  ;  as  for  my- 
self, I  would  cheerfully  aid  you,  but  circumstances  forbid  that 
I  should  embroil  myself  with  those  men  at  present.  Besides, 
you  cannot  remain  at  the  Station  always,  and  your  departure 
can  never  be  effected  with  such  safety  as  now,  before  the 
enemy  is  on  the  alert.  Farewell — keep  that  path,  and  you 
are  safe."  So  saying  he  disappeared,  and  our  traveller,  with 
a  heavy  heart,  resumed  his  journey. 

If  Mr.  Lee  had  found  his  situation  perplexing  on  the  pre- 
ceding day,  while  wandering  in  uncertainty  through  the  forest, 
it  was  certainly  more  so  now,  when  surrounded  by  the  gloom 
of  night.  Unable  to  see  the  way,  he  was  obliged  to  trust  en- 
tirely to  the  instinct  of  his  horse,  who  kept  the  path  with 
surprising  sagacity.  Sometimes  he  found  himself  descending 
into  a  ravine,  sometimes  the  splashing  of  water  announced 


HARPE'S   HEAD.  133 

that  he  was  crossing  a  rivulet,  and  sometimes  a  bough  over- 
hanging the  path  would  nearly  sweep  him  from  his  seat ;  but 
he  continued  to  move  cautiously  along,  satisfied  that  he  could 
encounter  no  danger  more  pressing  than  that  from  which  he 
had  escaped.  He  was  aware  that  the  outlaw  is  often  found 
on  the  extreme  frontier  of  our  country,  perpetrating  deeds  of 
violence  and  fraud,  beyond  the  reach  of  the  civil  authority. 
In  those  distant  settlements,  and  at  the  early  period  of  which 
we  write,  the  inhabitants,  thinly  scattered,  were  fully  occupied 
in  providing  for  their  own  defence  and  sustenance,  and  the 
wholesome  restraints  of  law,  if  they  existed,  were  but  feebly 
enforced.  At  such  points,  gangs  of  ruffians  would  sometimes 
collect,  and  for  a  time  elude  or  openly  defy  the  arm  of  jus- 
tice. Carefully  avoiding  to  give  offence  to  their  own  imme- 
diate neighbours,  and  striking  only  at  a  distance,  they  for  a 
time  escaped  detection.  The  honest  settler,  simple  and  prim- 
itive in  all  his  habits,  unwilling  to  meddle  with  laws  which  he 
little  understood,  endured  the  evil  so  long  as  the  peace  of  his 
own  community  remained  undisturbed  ;  until  roused  at  last 
by  some  daring  act  of  violence,  he  hunted  down  the  felon,  as 
he  would  have  chased  the  panther.  That  Patterson  and  his 
associates  belonged  to  that  class  of  marauders,  Mr.  Lee  had 
little  doubt ;  and  he  judged  correctly,  that  if  they  had  really 
marked  him  out  as  their  prey,  he  could  only  be  protected  by 
a  force  superior  to  their  own. 

:*•  Occupied  with  such  reflections,  he  continued  to  grope  his 
way,  until  he  supposed  the  night  must  be  nearly  exhausted. 
The  moon,  whose  beams  had  occasionally  reached  him  through 
the  shadows  of  the  forest,  had  gone  down,  and  the  darkness 
was  quite  impenetrable.  He  stopped  often,  turning  his  eyes 
in  every  direction,  to  discover  the  first  beam  of  the  morning. 
Never  did  night  appear  so  long — he  counted  hour  after  hour 
in  his  imagination — until  his  impatience  became  insupport- 
able. The  silence  of  the  forest,  so  long  continued  and  so 
death-like,  became  painfully  distressing  ;  but  when  it  was  sud- 


184  LEGENDS   OF   THE    WEST. 

denly  broken  by  the  savage  howl  of  the  wolf,  or  the  fearful 
screaming  of  the  owl,  the  traveller  involuntarily  started,  and 
was  not  ashamed  to  acknowledge  a  thrilling  sense  of  danger. 
Even  now  the  panther  might  be  silently  crawling  along  his 
track,  watching  for  a  favourable  opportunity  to  spring  upon 
his  prey  ;  the  hungry  wolf  might  be  scenting  his  approach,  or 
the  Indian  crouching  in  his  path.  Wearied  with  conjecture,  a 
feverish  excitement  took  possession  of  his  frame,  and  he 
thought  he  could  cheerfully  encounter  any  peril  rather  than 
be  thus  tortured  with  darkness  and  suspense.  Bodily  fatigue 
was  added  to  his  sufferings,  and  at  length  he  dismounted  to 
seek  a  momentary  relief  by  a  change  of  posture,  and  threw 
himself  on  the  ground  at  the  root  of  a  tree,  holding  his  bridle 
in  his  hand  ;  and  the  vividness  of  his  sensations  subsiding  with 
the  inaction  of  his  frame,  he  was  unconsciously  overcome  by 
sleep. 

When  George  Lee  awoke,  the  morning  was  far  advanced. 
The  bridle  had  fallen  from  his  hand,  and  his  horse  was  grazing 
quietly  near  him.  Stiff  and  aching  with  cold,  he  remounted 
and  pursued  his  journey.  The  road,  if  such  it  could  be  called, 
was  no  other  than  a  narrow  path,  winding  through  the  forest, 
of  sufficient  width  to  admit  the  passage  only  of  a  single  horse- 
man. Pursuing  the  course  of  a  natural  ridge,  the  traveller 
passed  through  a  hilly  region,  clothed  with  oak  and  hickory 
trees,  and  thickly  set  with  an  undergrowth  of  hazel-bushes 
and  grape-vines ;  often  halting  to  seek  the  path  which  was 
concealed  by  the  intertwining  brush  or  covered  with  fallen 
leaves,  and  sometimes  delaying  to  gather  the  nuts  and  fruit 
which  offered  their  luxuries  in  abundance.  Thence  descend- 
ing into  the  rich  alluvion  flats,  his  way  led  through  groves  of 
cotton-trees  and  sycamore,  whose  gigantic  trunks  ascending  to 
an  immense  height  were  surmounted  with  long  branches  so 
closely  interwoven  as  almost  to  exclude  the  light  of  heaven. 
Sometimes  the  graceful  cane  skirted  his  path,  and  he  waded 
heavily  through  the  tangled  brake,  embarrassed  by  the  nume- 


HARPE'S   HEAD.  135 

rous  tracks  beaten  by  the  wild  grazing  animals,  who  resort  to 
such  spots,  or  alarmed  by  the  appearance  of  beasts  of  prey, 
who  lurk  in  these  gloomy  coverts.  Alternately  delighted 
with  the  beauties  of  nature,  or  chilled  by  the  dreary  solitude 
of  the  wilderness,  our  traveller  passed  rapidly  on,  sometimes 
enjoying  those  absorbing  reveries  in  which  young  minds  are 
apt  to  revel,  and  sometimes  indulging  the  apprehensions 
which  his  situation  was  calculated  to  excite.  For  the  bear, 
the  wolf,  and  the  panther,  still  lurked  in  these  solitudes, 
and  the  more  dangerous  Indian  yet  claimed  them  as  his 
heritage. 

The  sun  was  sinking  towards  the  western  horizon  when  he 
reached  the  broken  country  bordering  on  the  Ohio.  His 
heart,  which  had  been  saddened  by  the  monotonous  gloom  of 
interminable  flats  and  the  intricacy  of  miry  brakes,  was 
cheered  as  the  hills  rose  upon  his  view,  and  his  faithful  horse 
moved  with  renewed  vigour  when  his  hoof  struck  the  firm 
soil.  Still  the  apprehension  of  approaching  night  was  not 
without  its  terror.  The  backwoodsman  alone,  accustomed  to 
such  scenes,  inured  to  the  toils  of  the  chase,  and  versed  in  the 
stratagems  of  border  warfare,  can  contemplate  with  indiffer- 
ence the  prospect  of  a  solitary  encampment  in  the  forest ;  and 
our  traveller  began  to  look  impatiently  for  the  signs  of  human 
habitation.  He  listened  with  intense  interest  to  every  sound. 
In  vain  ;  the  deer  still  galloped  across  his  path,  stopping  to 
gaze  at  the  harmless  stranger,  then  throwing  back  their  horns 
and  leaping  leisurely  away  with  graceful  bounds.  The  owl 
hooted  in  the  dark  valleys,  sending  forth  yells  so  long,  so 
loud,  and  so  dismal,  as  to  mislead  the  traveller  into  the  mo- 
mentary belief  that  it  was  the  mournful  wail  of  human 
misery ;  while  the  long  shadows  falling  across  the  deep 
ravines,  and  seen  through  myriads  of  yellow  leaves  which 
floated  on  the  breeze,  assumed  fantastic  shapes  to  the  now 
heated  fancy  of  the  tired  wayfarer. 


136  LEGENDS    OF    THE    WEST. 


CHAPTEE    XY. 

MR.  GEORGE  LEE  had  been  accustomed  from  his  youth 
to  active  sports  and  severe  bodily  exercises ;  he  was 
perfectly  at  home  in  the  saddle,  and  loved  to  wander  about 
the  woods,  better  than  to  do  any  thing  else  except  to  drink 
wine.  There  were,  therefore,  some  pleasures  mixed  with  the 
perplexities  of  his  present  situation.  He  bore  the  fatigues 
into  which  he  was  so  unexpectedly  thrown,  like  an  experienced 
hunter,  accustomed  to  long  and  weary  excursions;  his  native 
courage  rendered  him  careless  of  the  dangers  of  the  way,  and 
his  taste  for  forest  sports  was  frequently  gratified  by  the  sight 
of  animals  which  were  new  to  him,  and  of  places  charmingly 
suited  to  the  amusements  in  which  he  delighted.  The  only 
thing  that  distressed  him  was  hunger.  Although  he  was  in 
love,  and  had  travelled  all  the  way  from  Virginia,  in  pursuit 
of  Miss  Pendleton,  whose  hand  he  considered  indispensable 
to  his  happiness,  yet  he  was  so  unsentimental  as  to  be  actually 
hungry — and  well  he  might  be,  for  the  poor  young  man  had 
now  been  riding  twenty-four  hours  without  food. 

When  suffering  a  privation  of  this  kind,  we  are  apt  to  tor- 
ment ourselves  with  the  recollection  of  the  good  things  that 
we  have  eaten  in  happier  days.  And  who  had  been  more 
fortunate  in  this  respect  than  our  friend  George,  who  had  not 
only 

" Sate  at  good  men's  feasts" 

all  his  life,  but  kept  expert  cooks,  and  gave  famous  dinners 


HARPE'S  HEAD.  137 

himself?  He  looked  back  with  pleasurable  and  mournful  rem- 
iniscence, similar  to  that  of  the  man  who  is  suddenly  re- 
duced from  opulence  to  poverty.  He,  too,  was  reduced  in 
his  circumstances,  for  he  was  denied  the  luxury  of  eating, 
which  is  the  most  important  circumstance  of  life ;  and  the 
visions  of  departed  saddles  of  venison,  turkeys,  hams,  roast 
pigs,  oysters,  and  various  other  dainty  dishes,  which  the  Vir- 
ginians have  in  great  perfection,  and  dispense  with  prodigal 
hospitality  to  their  friends,  rose  before  his  mind's  eye  in 
mournful  yet  delicious  profusion. 

These  reveries  he  dwelt  upon  until  their  sameness  wearied 
his  mind.  He  began  to  grow  faint  and  tired  ;  excessive  hun- 
ger produced  drowsiness,  accompanied  with  such  callousness 
of  feeling,  that  a  propensity  was  creeping  over  him  to  throw 
himself  on  the  ground  and  sleep  away  his  senses  and  exist- 
ence. He  tried  to  recollect  some  text  of  scripture  which 
might  comfort  him,  but  for  his  life,  he  could  think  of  nothing 
but  "  eat,  drink,  and  be  merry,"  or  something  that  had  eating 
and  drinking  in  it.  He  attempted  to  sing,  but  his  songs  were 
all  bacchanalian,  and  only  served  to  provoke  thirst.  He  would 
have  repeated  some  stanzas  of  poetry  to  keep  him  awake,  if 
he  had  known  any  ;  but  he  had  never  cultivated  the  muses, 
and  not  a  line  could  he  recollect  but 

Little  Jackey  Horner,  sitting  in  a  corner, 
Eating  a  Christmas  pie ; 

and  the  dreadful  conviction  fastened  itself  at  last  upon  his 
alarmed  fancy,  that  if  he  should  escape  a  miserable  death  by 
starvation  in  the  wilderness,  he  would  surely  meet  a  wretched 
end  by  surfeit  whenever  he  should  come  in  contact  with  food. 
Never  did  George  Lee  commune  so  long  with  his  own  thoughts 
or  reflect  so  seriously. 

All  at  once  his  tired  horse,  who  was  moving  slowly  along 
the  hardly  perceptible  path,  with  the  bridle  hanging  on  his 
neck,  suddenly  stopped  as  the  path  turned  almost  at  right 


138  LEGENDS   OF   THE    WEST. 

angles  round  a  dense  thicket.  A  few  paces  before  him,  and 
until  this  instant  concealed  by  the  thick  brush,  stood  a  miser- 
able squalid  boy,  intently  engaged  in  watching  some  object 
not  far  from  him.  A  small,  gaunt,  wolf-looking,  starved  dog 
crouched  near  him,  equally  intent  on  the  same  game,  so  that 
even  his  quick  ear  did  not  catch  the  tread  of  the  horse's  feet 
as  they  rustled  among  the  dry  leaves,  until  the  parties  were 
in  close  contact.  The  dog  then,  without  moving,  uttered  a 
low  growl,  which  the  ear  of  his  master  no  sooner  caught  than 
he  looked  round,  and  seeing  Mr.  Lee,  started  up  and  was 
about  to  fly.  But  George  exclaimed,  "  My  little  man,  I've 
lost  my  way,"  and  the  lad  stopped,  eyed  the  traveller  timidly, 
and  then  looked  earnestly  towards  the  spot  to  which  his 
glance  had  been  before  directed. 

"  ]  have  missed  my  way,"  continued  Lee,  "  and  am  almost 
starved." 

"  Can't  you  wait  a  minute  till  I  kill  that  ar  snake,"  replied 
Hark — for  it  was  he. 

The  traveller  looked  in  the  direction  indicated  by  the 
boy's  finger,  and  saw  an  immense  rattlesnake  coiled,  with  its 
head  reared  in  the  centre,  his  mouth  unclosed,  his  fierce  eyes 
gleaming  vindictively,  and  all  his  motions  indicating  a  watch- 
ful and  enraged  enemy.  Hark  gazed  at  the  reptile  with  an 
eager  and  malignant  satisfaction.  His  features,  usually 
stupid,  were  now  animated  with  hatred  and  triumph.  The 
scene  was  precisely  suited  to  interest  the  sportsmanlike  pro- 
pensities of  Mr.  George  Lee,  if  he  had  not  happened  to  be 
too  hungry  to  enjoy  any  thing  which  might  delay  him  any 
longer  in  the  wilderness. 

"  Kill  the  snake,  boy,"  said  he,  impatiently,  "  and  then 
show  me  the  way  to  some  house." 

Hark  motioned  with  his  finger,  as  if  enjoining  silence,  and 
replied  laconically,  "  It  ain't  ready  yet." 

The  rattlesnake  now  raised  his  tail  and  shook  his  rattles, 
as  if  in  defiance ;  and  then,  as  if  satisfied  with  this  show  of 


HARPE'SHKAD.  139 

valour,  and  finding  that  his  enemies  made  no  advance,  but 
stood  motionless,  slowly  uncoiled  himself,  and  began  to  glide 
away.  Hark  left  his  position,  and,  with  noiseless  steps, 
alertly  made  a  small  circuit,  so  as  to  place  him  in  front  of 
the  enemy.  The  snake  raised  his  head,  darted  out  his  tongue, 
and  then  turned  to  retreat  in  another  direction ;  but  no 
sooner  had  he  presented  his  side  to  Hark,  than  the  intrepid 
snake-killer  bounded  forward  and  alighted  with  both  his  feet 
on  the  neck  of  the  reptile,  striking  rapidly  first  with  one  foot, 
and  then  the  other,  but  skilfully  keeping  his  victim  pinned  to 
the  ground  so  as  to  prevent  the  use  of  its  fangs.  The  snake, 
in  great  agony,  now  twisted  the  whole  of  its  long  body  round 
Hark's  leg;  and  the  boy,  delighted  to  witness  the  writhings 
of  his  foe,  stood  for  a  while  grinning  in  triumph.  Then 
carefully  seizing  the  reptile  by  the  neck,  which  he  held 
firmly  under  his  foot,  he  deliberately  untwisted  it  from  his 
leg,  and  threw  it  on  the  ground  at  some  distance  from  him, 
and  seemed  to  be  preparing  to  renew  the  contest. 

"  You  stupid  boy."  cried  Mr.  Lee,  "  why  don't  you  take  a 
stick  and  kill  the  snake1?" 

"  That  ain't  the  right  way,"  replied  Hark ;  and  as  the 
venomous  creature,  disabled  and  sadly  bruised,  essayed  to 
stretch  its  length  on  the  ground  to  retreat,  the  snake-killer 
again  jumped  on  it,  and  in  a  few  minutes  crushed  it  to  death 
with  his  feet.  Then  taking  it  up  in  his  hands,  he  surveyed  it 
with  his  peculiar  grin  of  joy,  counting  the  rattles  as  he 
separated  them  from  the  body,  with  an  air  of  triumph  as 
great  as  that  of  the  hunter  when  he  numbers  the  antlers  of  a 
noble  buck. 

Mr.  Lee  gazed  at  this  scene  with  unfeigned  astonishment. 
Though  no  mean  adept  himself  in  the  art  of  destroying 
animal  life,  he  had  never  before  witnessed  such  an  exhibition. 
The  diminutive  size  of  the  youth,  his  meagre  and  famished 
appearance,  his  wretched  apparel,  together  with  the  skill  and 
intrepidity  displayed  in  this  nondescript  warfare,  with  a 


140  LEGENDS    OF   THE    WEST. 

creature  scarcely  his  inferior  in  any  respect,  strongly  excited 
his  curiosity. 

"  Well,  you've  beaten  your  enemy,"  said  he  in  an  encour- 
aging tone. 

"  Yes,  I  reckon  I've  saved  him." 

"  But  why  did  you  not  take  a  club  to  it  ?" 

"  It  ain't  the  right  way.     I  never  go  snakin'  with  a  pole." 

"  What  is  your  name  ?" 

"Do  you  live  about  here,  stranger1?" 

"  No,  I  am  a  traveller  from  Virginia,  and  was  going  to 
Hendrickson's  settlement,  when  I  lost  my  way." 

"  People's  mighty  apt  to  get  lost  when  they  don't  know 
the  range,"  replied  Hark  familiarly,  encouraged  by  the 
stranger's  affability. 

"  Where  do  you  live  ?"  inquired  Mr.  Lee,  endeavouring 
to  conciliate  the  half-savage  being  whose  friendship  was  now 
important  to  him. 

"  I  don't  live  nowhere,  in  peticklar." 

"  But  you  seem  acquainted  with  these  woods." 

"  Yes,  I  use  about  here  some." 

"  How  do  you  employ  yourself?" 

"  I  hunt  some,  and  snake  a  little  ;  and  when  I  haint  nothen 
else  to  do,  I  go  a  lizardin." 

"  Lizardin  !  what  in  the  name  of  sense  is  that  ?" 

"  Killen  lizards,"  replied  the  boy,  rather  consequentially. 
"  I  use  up  all  the  varments  I  come  across." 

"  Then  you  must  frog  it  some"  said  Mr.  Lee,  laughing. 

"  Oh  yes — and  there's  a  powerful  chance  of  the  biggest 
bull-frogs  you  ever  see  down  in  the  slash  yander.  It  would 
do  you  good  to  go  there  in  the  night  and  hear  'em  sing.  I 
reckon  there's  more  frogs  and  water-snakes  there  than  they 
is  in  all  Virginny." 

"  I  have  no  curiosity  to  see  them.  And  now,  my  lad,  if 
you  will  guide  me  to  the  settlement  I  will  satisfy  you  gener- 
ously for  your  trouble." 


HARPE'S    HEAD.  141 

Hark  made  objections — it  was  too  far — he  could  not  tell 
the  distance — but  it  was  farther  than  he  could  walk  in  a  day. 
Mr.  Lee  then  begged  to  be  conducted  to  the  nearest  house  ; 
but  the  snake-killer  shook  his  head. 

"  Surely  you  lodge  somewhere,"  exclaimed  the  Virginian, 
growing  impatient ;  ';  take  me  to  your  camp,  and  give  me 
something  to  eat.  I  am  starving." 

Hark  seemed  irresolute,  and  continued  to  eye  the  traveller 
with  a  childish  curiosity,  mingled  with  suspicion  ;  then,  as  if  a 
new  idea  occurred  to  him,  he  inquired,  "  Where's  your  gun, 
mister  ?" 

"  I  have  none." 

For  the  first  time  the  melancholy  visage  of  Hark  dis- 
tended into  a  broad  grin,  as  he  exclaimed,  "  Well,  I  never 
see  a  man  before  that  hadn't  a  gun.  If  it  ain't  no  offence, 
stranger,  what  do  you  follow  for  a  living  ?" 

"  Why,  nothing  at  all,  you  dunce,"  said  George  ;  "  I  am  a 
gentleman." 

Hark  was  as  much  puzzled  as  ever.  "  In  North  Carolina," 
said  he,  "  where  I  was  raised,  the  people's  all  gentlemen, 
except  the  women,  and  they've  all  got  guns." 

"  All  this  is  nothing  to  the  purpose — will  you  not  show 
the  way  to  your  camp  ?" 

"  Well — I  reckon," — replied  Hark,  withdrawing  a  few- 
steps,  "  I  sort  o'  reckon  it  wouldn't  be  best." 

"  What  objection  can  you  possibly  have  ?" 

"  I  am  afeard." 

"  You  need  not  fear  me  ;  I  can  do  you  no  harm,  if  I  felt 
so  disposed  ;  and  I  have  no  disposition  to  injure  you." 

"  Won't  you  beat  me  ?" 

"  Certainly  not." 

"  Nor  take  my  skins  from  me  f 

"No,  no.     I  would  not  harm  you  upon  any  consideration." 

"  Well,  then,  I  reckon  I'll  take  you  to  my  camp." 

So  saying,  Hark  marched  off  through  the  woods,  followed 
by  Mr.  George  Lee.  • 


143  LEGENDS   OF  THE    WEST. 

* 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

IT1HE  snake-killer  urged  his  way  through  the  forest  with  a 
-L  rapid  but  noiseless  step,  followed  by  our  friend  George, 
whose  weary  horse  was  scarcely  able  to  keep  pace  with  the 
hardy  boy.  After  travelling  a  short  distance,  they  arrived 
at  the  top  of  a  hill,  whence  the  river  Ohio  could  be  seen  at  a 
distance,  gliding  placidly,  and  reflecting  the  sunbeams  from 
the  broad  mirror  of  its  clear  and  beautiful  surface.  Here 
Mr.  Lee  was  requested  to  dismount  and  leave  his  horse ;  an 
arrangement  with  which  he  was  by  no  means  disposed  to 
comply,  for  he  was  too  good  a  horseman  not  to  love  the  gen- 
erous animal  which  had  borne  him  safely  through  the  fatigues 
of  so  long  a  journey.  But  the  cautious  policy  of  Hark  was 
not  to  be  overthrown  by  any  argument ;  and  after  some  dis- 
cussion, the  saddle  and  bridle  were  stripped  of  and  hung  upon 
a  tree,  and  the  horse  turned  out  to  graze,  with  his  legs  se- 
cured in  such  a  manner  as  to  prevent  him  from  wandering 
far  from  the  spot.  They  then  descended  the  hill  until  they 
reached  an  extensive  plain  of  flat  alluvion  land,  covered  with 
a  thick  forest  of  tall  trees,  skirting  the  shores  of  "  the  beau- 
tiful stream"  and  forming  what  is  called  in  this  country,  the 
river  bottom.  Here,  concealed  in  a  tangled  thicket  of  brush- 
wood, matted  with  grape-vines,  was  a  small  lodge,  constructed 
of  slender  poles,  covered  with  bark.  Hark  paused,  and  cast 
furtive  glances  of  apprehension  around,  before  he  disclosed 
the  entrance  to  this  primitive  and  wretched  abode,  examining 


HARPE'S    HEAD.  143 

with  his  eye  the  neighbouring  coverts,  and  then  looking  tim- 
idly towards  his  companion,  as  if  still  balancing  in  his  mind 
between  prudence  and  hospitality ;  while  the  dog,  imitating 
his  master's  caution,  crept  silently  round  the  spot,  snuffing 
the  air.  At  last,  Hark,  as  if  satisfied,  pushed  aside  the  leafy 
branches  which  concealed  his  place  of  retreat,  and  entering 
hastily  with  his  guest,  carefully  replaced  the  bushes  behind 
him. 

If  Mr.  Lee  had  been  astonished  before,  at  all  he  had  seen 
of  the  mysterious  being  into  whose  company  he  had  been  so 
strangely  thrown,  his  wonder  was  not  decreased  on  finding 
himself  introduced  into  "  a  lodge  in  some  vast  wilderness," 
which  seemed  a  more  fit  habitation  for  a  wild  beast  than  a 
human  creature.  The  lodge  was  square,  and  not  more  than 
eight  feet  in  diameter,  while  its  height  was  barely  sufficient 
to  allow  the  dwarfish  proprietor  to  stand  upright  in  the 
centre.  It  was  dry  and  tight.  The  floor  was  formed  by  logs 
imbedded  in  the  ground,  and  covered  with  dried  grass.  The 
only  visible  articles  of  property  consisted  of  an  iron  stew-pan, 
a  steel  trap,  an  axe,  and  a  quantity  of  skins. 

Motioning  to  his  companion  to  seat  himself  on  the  floor, 
Hark  proceeded  with  some  alacrity  to  prepare  a  meal.  In 
the  first  place  he  drew  from  a  magazine  of  sundries,  hidden 
in  one  corner  of  his  tent,  several  pieces  of  jerked  venison 
dried  so  hard  as  to  be  nearly  of  the  consistency  of  wood,  but 
which,  by  the  by,  was  by  no  means  unpalatable  ;  and  placing 
them  before  his  guest,  signified  that  he  might  commence  op- 
erations ;  an  intimation  which  Mr.  Lee,  with  the  assistance 
of  a  pocket-knife,  obeyed  without  hesitation.  Hark  then 
retired,  and  having  kindled  a  small  fire  in  a  ravine  near  the 
tent,  produced  the  carcase  of  a  fat  opossum,  which  he  cut  up 
and  placed  in  the  stew-pan.  In  a  few  minutes  the  savoury 
mess  was  in  a  condition  to  be  placed  before  the  traveller ; 
and  although  totally  unseasoned,  and  destitute  of  the  accom- 
paniment of  bread  or  vegetables,  the  famished  wayfarer  did 


144  LEGENDS    OF   THE    WEST. 

ample  justice  to  the  cookery  of  Hark,  who  sat  by,  and  refused 
to  partake,  until  the  hunger  of  his  guest  was  appeased. 

This  was  the  proudest  day  of  the  life  of  Hark  the  snake- 
killer.  Unused  to  kindness,  and  accustomed  from  the  earlfest 
dawn  of  reason  to  consider  men  as  his  enemies,  this  was 
probably  the  first  time  that  he  had  ever  enjoyed  the  luxury 
of  doing  good  from  motives  entirely  voluntary.  He  was  in 
company  with  a  gentleman  of  fine  appearance,  and,  to  his  ap- 
prehension, of  superior  intelligence,  who  treated  him  as  an 
equal.  Although  an  aristocrat  by  birth,  property,  and  asso- 
ciation, Mr.  Lee  was  naturally  good-humoured,  and  his  habits 
as  a  sportsman  and  man  of  pleasure  had  thrown  him  fre- 
quently into  contact  with  the  lower  classes  of  society,  and 
this  we  suppose  to  be  generally  true  of  those  who  engage  in 
sensual  pleasures,  or  in  what  is  more  commonly  called  dissi- 
pation. And  it  is,  if  we  mistake  not,  a  national  character- 
istic, that  our  gentlemen  can,  when  circumstances  render  it 
convenient,  adapt  themselves  with  perfect  ease  to  the  society 
of  their  inferiors  in  education  and  manners.  Mr.  Lee,  there- 
fore, without  much  effort,  had  the  tact  to  treat  our  friend 
Hark  as  an  equal,  simply  by  avoiding  any  supercilious  show 
of  aversion  or  airs  of  superiority ;  and  the  consequence  was 
that  he  rose  every  moment  in  the  esteem  and  affection  of 
this  uncouth  boy,  who  soon  began  to  venerate  him  as  a  su- 
perior being. 

It  was  now  dusk,  and  our  traveller  had  no  choice  left  but 
to  spend  the  night  under  the  miserable  shelter  which  he  had 
found  so  opportunely.  Indeed,  contrasting  his  present  situa- 
tion with  the  gloomy  terrors  of  the  forest,  and  the  disquie- 
tude which  he  had  experienced  within  the  last  twenty-four 
hours,  he  found  great  room  for  congratulation,  and  recovered 
his  natural  flow  of  spirits  sufficiently  to  converse  freely  with 
Hark,  whose  reserve  began  imperceptibly  to  wear  away. 

Whik  they  were  thus  engaged,  the  dog  all  at  once  showed 
symptoms  of  agitation,  pricking  his  ears,  then  crawling  out 


HARPE'B    HEJYD.  145 

of  the  tent  and  snuffing  the  air.  and  at  last  uttering  a  low 
sharp  whine,  and  hastily  retreating  back  to  his  master  with 
his  hair  bristling  and  his  limbs  trembling.  Hark,  always 
alive. to  fear,  looked  at  his  dumb  companion,  and  at  his  guest 
\vith  a  ghastly  expression  of  terror  on  his  sallow  features. 
Mr.  Lee.would  have  spoken,  but  the  boy  cautioned  him  to  be 
silent,  and  creeping  to  the  aperture  of  the  lodge  reconnoitred 
the  surrounding  shades  with  the  cunning  of  a  wary  hunter. 
George  followed,  and  was  about  to  step  from  the  lodge-when 
his  companion  caught  'his  arm  and  whispered  "Indians!" 
Footsteps  could  now  be  hea/d  passing  around  ;  they  were  the 
wily  steps  of  the  cautions  savage  treading  softly  as  if  aware 
of  the  vicinity  of  a  foe;  but  the  rustling  of  the  leaves  and  the 
cracking  of  the  dried  twigs  betrayed,  them  to  the  ears  of  the 
attentive  listeners.  Then  a  low  signal-cry  was  heard,  which 
was  answered  by  another  from  a  different  direction.  A  p^arty 
of  Indians,  painted  for  war,  was  seen  scattered  about,  moving 
silently  through  the  bushes,  or  standing  .in  the  attitude  of 
eager  and  watchful  attention,  with  their  -hands  upon  their 
weapons  and  their  dark  eyes  gleaming  with  ferocious  avidity. 
It  was  evident  that  thev  had  traced  their  victims  to  this  spot, 
and  were  now  anxiously  seeking  the  place  of  their  conceal- 
ment. Suddenly,  Hark  uttered  a  piercing  scr.ea.rn,  and  rush- 
ing forward  a  few  steps,  pushed  aside  the  bushes  so  AS  to 
disclose  the  entrance  of  the  lodge  to  the  Indians. 

-  "  Traitor  !"  exclaimed  Mr.  Lee  as  he  sprung  after  him, 
convinced  by  this  action  that  the  wretched  boy  had  betrayed 
him  into  an  ambuscade,  and .  intending,  under  a  sudden 
impulse  of  passion,  to  strike  him  to  the  ground.  But  a 
momentary  glance  induced  him  to  abandon  the  suspicion. 
Before  him  stood  a  tall  Indian,  whose  superior  air  and  dress 
announced  him  to  be  a  Jeader,  with  his  rifle  pressed  to  his 
shoulder  as  if  in  the  act  of  taking. aim.  His  keen  eye  had 
discovered  the  faces  of  the  whites  through  some  sjight  open- 
ing of  the  intervening  foliage,  and  he  was  deliberately  pre- 
7 


146  LEGENDS    OF    THE    WEST. 

paring  to  fire  with  a  deadly  aim,  when  Hark  perceiving  his 
intention,  leaped  towards  him  to  implore  mercy,  throwing 
himself  on  his  knees,  and  regarding  his  savage  captor  with 
looks  of  intense  agony.  Lee  stood  behind  him  unarmed  and 
embarrassed ;  while  the  Indians,  dashing  through  the  bushes 
with  the  most  terrible  yells,  and  brandishing  their  tomahawks, 
crowded  about  their  victims,  prepared  to  glut  their  vengeance 
oy  immolating  them  upon  the  spot.  But  the  chief  restrained 
them,  making  a  brief  but  peremptory  explanation  in  a 
language  unknown  to  the  prisoners,  but  which  probably  sug- 
gested a  respite  from  instant  death  only  as  a  prelude  to  a 
more  lingering  and  dreadful  fate. 

Ferocious  as  this  band  of  savages  appeared  to  the  eye  of 
Lee,  to  whom  the  scene  was  new,  an  experienced  observer 
would  have  remarked  in  their  deportment  a  more  than 
ordinary  degree  of  moderation.  The  Indians,  like  all  other 
unlettered  men,  act  from  impulse.  A  battle  always  whets 
their  appetite  for  blood  ;  and  they  visit  upon  the  lives  of  their 
unfortunate  captives  the  ill-humour  occasioned  by  their  own 
fatigues,  losses,  or  sufferings.  They  are  cruel  always  when 
excited,  and  often  without  excitement ;  and  sometimes  from 
mere  caprice  treat  their  prisoners  with  lenity  and  even 
kindness. 

It  happened  that  the  captors  of  Lee  were  in  a  good 
humour.  They  had  perhaps  made  a  successful  inroad  upon 
the  whites,  or  had  met  with  no  occurrence  lately  to  awaken 
resentful  feelings.  The  fine  horse  of  Mr.  Lee,  the  gun,  the 
axe,  and  the  skins  of  Hark,  constituted  in  their  estimation  a 
prize  of  no  small  value,  and  their  ready  tact  enabled  them  to 
see  at  a  glance  that  their  prisoners  were  not  persons  of  war- 
like habits.  Some  or  all  of  these  reasons  operated  to  protect 
the  captives  from  ill  usage,  and  they  were  marched  off  to  the 
shore  of  the  Ohio,  where  the  Indians  embarked  in  canoes  that 
were  concealed  among  the  willows,  and  crossed  to  the  opposite 
bank,  where  they  encamped. 


HARPE'S   HEAD.  147 

At  an  early  hour  the  following  morning  the  whole  party 
prepared  to  march ;  but  not  until  some  of  the  warriors 
evinced  a  disposition  to  amuse  themselves  at  the  expense  of 
Hark.  The  diminutive  size  and  queer  looks  of  the  half- 
civilized  youth  attracted  their  attention,  and  they  indulged 
their  drollery  by  forming  themselves  into  two  parallel  lines, 
and  making  the  disconcerted  snake-killer  march  backwards 
and  forwards  between  them.  As  he  passed  along  one  would 
prick  him  in  the  side  with  the  point  of  his  knife,  and  when 
the  frightened  boy  turned  his  head  towards  his  tormentor 
another  would  trip  him  by  placing  an  obstacle  in  his  path. 
One  of  the  tallest  of  the  braves  led  him  to  a  tree,  against 
which  he  placed  him,  while  with  a  tomahawk  he  marked  his 
diminutive  height  accurately  upon  the  bark;  then  measuring 
and  marking  his  own  height  upon  the  same  tree,  he  pointed 
out  the  difference  to  the  amused  warriors,  who  laughed  vocif- 
erously at  this  specimen  of  wit. 

George  Lee  joined  heartily  in  the  laugh  occasioned  by  the 
ludicrous  appearance  of  his  new  acquaintance,  but  it  was  not 
long  until  he  became  himself  a  subject  of  merriment. 
Among  the  spoils  was  a  large  iron  kettle,  into  which  the 
Indians  had  packed  their  provisions,  and  when  the  march  was 
about  to  be  commenced,  it  was  determined  to  make  our 
friend  George  the  bearer  of  this  burden.  In  vain  did  he 
remonstrate,  both  by  emphatic  signs  and  imploring  language, 
assuring  them  that  he  was  a  gentleman,  unused  to  labour,  and 
totally  unable  to  carry  such  a  burthen  ;  the  Indians  persisted 
in  placing  the  kettle  on  his  head,  and  the  unfortunate  gentle- 
man, willing  to  try  the  virtue  of  obedience,  and  afraid  to 
refuse,  moved  forward.  But  although  his  head  had  always 
been  considered  hard  in  one  sense  of  the  word,  it  did  not 
prove  so  in  the  present  instance,  and  after  proceeding  a  few 
steps  he  began  to  falter,  and  showed  a  desire  to  set  down  his 
load.  A  very  muscular  savage,  a  surly,  malicious-looking 
ruffian,  advanced  towards  him,  and  brandishing  his  war-club 


148  LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 

ordered  him  to  proceed.  George,  without  understanding  the 
language,  readily  compreheoded  the  meaning  of  the  Indian, 
and  turning  towards  him  exclaimed,  in  a  tone  of  vexation, 
"I  say,  my  good  fellow,  if  you  think  it's  so  mighty  easy  to 
carry  this  load,  you  had  better  try  it  yourself."  The  Indian 
raised  his  club  to  strike,  but  George,  who  was  a  theoretical 
boxer  and  a  man  of  spirit,  threw  the  kettle  from  his  head, 
suddenly  darted  upon  him,  wrested  the  club  from  his  grasp, 
and  throwing  it  from  him  struck  his  assailant  with  his  fist. 
The  Indians  shouted  applause,  formed  a  circle,  and  encouraged 
their  companion  to  continue  the  battle ;  and  the  latter,  who 
could  not  refuse  without  disgrace,  sprung  furiously  upon  the 
rebellious  prisoner.  Though  stout  and  active,  he  found  his 
full  match  in  Lee,  who  was  a  young  man  of  large  frame,  in 
the  prime  of  manhood,  and  accustomed  to  athletic  exercises. 
He  was  much  stronger  than  the  savage,  while  the  ktter  was 
his  superior  in  cunning.  Thus  matched,  .the  battle  was 
severely  contested  for  several  minutes,  when  George,  by  a 
lucky  blow,  stretched  his  adversary  upon  the  ground,  to  the 
infinite  amusement  of  the  bystanders,  who  made  the  forest 
ring  with  their  acclamations,  while  they  taunted  their  beaten 
comrade  with  the  severest  irony. 

Lee  now  rose  considerably  in  'the  estimation  of  his 
captors;  the  kettle  was  suspended  upon  a  pole  and  carried  by 
two  of  the  party,  and  our  friend  accommodated-with  a  lighter 
load. 

They  had  not  proceeded  far  when  they  reached  the  margin 
of  a  broad  and  rapid  stream,  which  they  prepared  to  cfosfs  by 
fording.  To  this  evolution  Hark  evinced  great  repugnance  ; 
for  although  accustomed  to  dabble  in  marshy  pools,  he  could 
not  swim,  and  was  marvellously  afraid  of  deep  water.  The 
Indians,  who  became  more  and  more  amused  with  his  un- 
toward vagaries,  drove  him  into  the  water  before  them  with 
shouts  of  merriment.  The  stream  was  about  waist  deep  to 
the  men,  who  waded  firmly  through  without  difficulty ;  not 


HARPE'S    HEAD.  149 

so  Hark,  whose  chin  floated  like  a  cork  upon  the  surface, 
while  his  feet,  scarcely  touching  the  bottom,  were  frequently 
swept  by  the  force  of  the  current  from  under  him,  and  the 
terrified -urchin  completely  immersed— until  he  was  relieved, 
and  again  placed  in  a  perpendicular  attitude. 

The  Indians,  either  from  a  sense  of  the  ludicrous,  or  from 
the  pleasure  of  giving  pain,  found  such  rare  sport  in  the 
sufferings  o'f  Hark,  that  they  no  sooner  reached  the  shore  than 
they  determined  to  repeat  -the  exhibition  ;  actuated  by  the 
same  spirit  which  induces  the  spectators  at  a  theatre  to  encore 
some  precious  piece  of  buffoonery.  Hark  was  therefore  com- 
manded to  retrace  hfs  steps  to  the  opposite  bank,  attended 
by  a  warrior,  whose  duty  was  to  keep  the  performer's  head 
above  water,  but  who  mischievously  bobbed  it  under  the  sur- 
face whenever  a  suitable  opportunity  offered.  Having  thus 
recrossed  and  returned,  the  savages,  satisfied  for  the  present, 
prepared  to  resume  their  journey.  Such  are  some  of  the 
sports  of  the  Indians, -by  which  they  enliven  the  brief  inter- 
vals of  enjoyment,  few  and  far  between,  that  succeed  the  soli- 
tary labours  of  the  chase  and  the  butcheries  of  war,  the 
gloomy  nights  of  watching,  and  the  long  days  spent  in  brood- 
ing over  meditated  violence  and  insatiable  revenge. 

Hark,  though  greatly  terrified,  was  not  much  fatigued  by 
his  late  exertions,  for  he  was  as  hardy  as  a  pine  knot,  and  ac- 
customed to  exposure  to  the  elements.  He  was  therefore 
soon  rested,  and  was  leaning  carelessly  against  the  stem  of  a 
young  tree,  when  the  singular  expression  of  his  countenance 
attracted  the  attention  of  the  Indians,  who  are  quick  and  ac- 
curate observers  of  physiognomy.  His  eye,  usually  dull,  was 
now  lighted  up,  and  keenly  fixed  upon  some  object  at  a  short 
distance  off  in  the  woods;  His  lips  were  compressed,  and 
the  muscles  of  his  vacant  countenance  in  perceptible  motion. 
He  seemed  to  be  drawing  himself  up  like  some  crouching 
animal  preparing  to  spring  on  its  prey.  Suddenly  he  darted 
forward  towards  a  large  black-snake  which  was  slily  dragging 


150  LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 

its  shining  folds  over  the  dry  leaves,  and  seizing  the  reptile 
by  the  neck  with  one  hand,  whirled  the  long  body  in  the  air 
over  his  head,  as  a  child  would  flourish  a  whip-lash.  Then  he 
suffered  it  to  coil  itself  round  his  arm  and  neck,  and  disen- 
gaging it,  threw  it  into  the  air,  catching  it  as  it  fell.  This  he 
repeated  frequently,  always  taking  care  to  seize  the  animal 
dexterously  so  near  the  head  as  to  prevent  the  possibility  of 
its  biting.  At  length,  he  dropped  on  his  hands  and  knees, 
and  fixing  his  teeth  in  the  back  of  the  creature's  neck,  shook 
it  violently  as  a  terrier  dog  worries  a  rat ;  and  finally  taking 
the  head  in  his  hand,  he  rose  and  lashed  the  trees  with  the 
long  flexible  body  of  his  victim,  until  he  dashed  it  to  pieces, 
exhibiting  in  the  latter  part  of  this  singular  exercise  a  degree 
of  spite  and  fury  altogether  foreign  from  his  ordinary  indo- 
lence of  manner.  The  Indians,  in  the  mean  while,  gazed  at 
this  novel  achievement  with  delighted  admiration,  clapping 
their  hands  and  shouting  applause ;  and  when  Hark  rested 
from  his  labours,  some  of  the  oldest  warriors  patted  him  on 
the  head,  and  exclaimed  in  broken  English,  "  good !"  "  velly 
good !"  They  forthwith  conferred  upon  him  a  sonorous 
Indian  name,  which,  being  interpreted,  signified  "  He  that 
kills  snakes,"  and  treated  him  afterwards  with  lenity,  and  even 
favour. 

It  was  very  evident  that  the  Indians  were  neither  in  haste 
nor  fearful  of  pursuit;  for  they  loitered  by  the  way,  stopping 
at  particular  places,  and  examining  for  signs,  as  if  expecting 
to  fall  in  with  some  other  war  party  of  their  own  tribe.  At 
length,  towards  evening,  they  reached  the  brow  of  a  hill, 
where  a  small  mark  was  discovered,  which  had  been  made  by 
chipping  a  portion  of  the  bark  from  a  sapling  with  a  toma- 
hawk ;  and  at  a  distance,  in  the  low  ground,  a  thin  column  of 
smoke  was  seen  wreathing  above  the  trees.  Here  they  halted, 
cut  a  large  pole,  which,  after  stripping  off  the  bark,  they  painted 
with  several  colours,  and  then  planted  in  the  ground.  They 
.  now  cut  a  lock  of  hair  from  the  head  of  each  of  the  pris- 


HARPE'SHEAU  151 

oners,  and  after  braiding  them,  placed  them  in  a  medicine 
bag,  which  they  hung  upon  the  pole ;  and  endeavoured  to  ex- 
plain by  signs  and  broken  English,  that  these  locks  represented 
the  prisoners  whom  they  intended  to  adopt  into  their  tribe. 
All  things  being  ready,  the  chief  shouted  with  a  loud  voice, 
uttering  certain  peculiar  yells,  by  which  they  intended  to  con- 
vey to  their  tribe  the  intelligence  of  their  successful  return, 
and  the  number  of  their  prisoners.  Then  they  formed  a 
circle  round  the  pole,  and  joining  hands  with  each  other  and 
with  the  prisoners  who  were  now  taken  into  companionship, 
danced  round  it,  singing  and  leaping  with  great  vivacity. 

After  this  exercise  had  continued  about  half  an  hour,  they 
were  joined  by  some  of  their  companions  whose  smoke  they 
had  seen,  and  the  whole  party  marched  off  in  great  ceremony 
to  the  camp,  where  Mr.  Lee  witnessed  a  spectacle  which  filled 
him  with  astonishment  and  horror.  What  this  was  will  be 
explained  in  a  future  chapter. 


152  LEG  ENDSOFTHK   WEST. 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

THE  course  of  our  narrative  now  brings  us  back  to  Jenkins' 
Station.  William  Colburn,  the  brave  youth  who  effected 
the  escape  of  Mr.  Lee,  was  the  same  hunter  to  whom  the 
reader  was  introduced  at  the  carriers'  encampment  in  the  Alle- 
gheny mountains.  He  -knew  the.  ruffians  by  whom  "he  \vas 
surrounded,  and  having  saved  a  stranger  from  their  clutches, 
retired  silently  to  his  lodging,  little  apprehensive  of  any  dmi- 
ger  to  himself.  But  his  situation  was  not  without  peril,  which, 
however  he  might  be  disposed  to  despise  it,  occupied  his 
thoughts  ;  while  the  interest  that  he  felt  in  the  stranger,  who 
seemed  to  have  been  thrown  upon  him  for  protection,  -con- 
curred to  drive  sleep  from  his  pillow.  The  apartment  which 
he  occupied  was  a  mere  loft,  the  same  which  Mr.  Lee  had  just 
left,  immediately  -above  the-  room  in  which  the  noisy  ruffians 
were  assembled..  Their  loud  conversation  had  now  ceased, 
and  they  seemed  to  have  thrown  themselves  on  the'  floor  to 
slumber.  After  some  time  he  heard  a  slight  noise  in  the 
apartment  below,  succeeded  by  a  faint  murmur  of  voices ; 
then  a  step  could  be  distinguished,  as  of  one  slowly  ascending 
to  his  chamber.  He  snatched  his  hunting-knife  from  the  chair 
'beside  his  bed,  and  concealing  it  under  the  bed-clothes,  feigned 
sleep.  A  person  entered  and  approached  the  bed  which  had 
been  occupied  by  Lee.-  A  short  silence  ensued,  then  a  blas- 
phemous expression  of  disappointment  escaped  the  intruder, 


HARPE'S   HEAD.  153 

who  now  pai  t'ally  throw  aside  a  cloak  which  had  concealed  a 
dark  lantern,  and  a  dim  light  gleamed  over  the  apartment. 
Having  satisfied  himself  that  the  bed  before  him  was  empty, 
the  ruffian  turned  hastily  to  that  of  Colburn,  whose  placid 
features  indicated  the  calmness  of  profound  slumber.  The 
ruffian  laid  his  hand  upon  his  knife,  gazed  for  an  instant  with 
resentful  malignity,  and  then  hastily  retired,  but  not  until  the 
youth  had  recognised  the  savage  countenance  of  Patterson. 
Colburn  heard  .him  enter  the  room  below,  and  arising  lightly 
from  his  bed  placed  his  ear  to  a  crevice  in  the  floor  and  heard 
one  of  the  party  exclaim, 

"  Gone  !" 

"Ay,"  replied  Patterson,  "gone,  hook  and  line." 

A  confused  whispering  ensued,  from  which  Colburn  could 
gather  nothing;  but  directing  his  eye  to  the  crevice,  he  saw 
Pattersoir  point  his  finger  upwards,  and  concluded  that  the 
conversation  related  to  himself. 

A  moment  afterwards  one  of  the  party  remarked,  "He 
knows  something  about  it." 

Patterson,  with  a  tremendous  oath,  replied,  "  He  knows 
more  than  he  shall  ever  tell."- 

A  long  consultation  ensued,  which  ended  with  Patterson's 
saying,  "  Not  to-night — it  will  not  do — but  to-morrow  he 
must  be  taken  care  of." 

During  this  time  Patterson  had  applied  himself  several 
times  to  the  whiskey -bottle,  and  becoming  much  intoxicated, 
began  to  curse  his  companions  as  -villains  and  cowards. 

"  It  was  you,"  said  he,  "  that  put  me  on  this — I  never 
attempted  the  like  before — I  have  stood  by  you  and  protected 
you  in  all  your  villainy — but  you  know  I  have  always  said  I 
would  never  be  concerned  in  taking  life — I  never  have  done 
it  before — this  is  the  first  time — and  when  the  act  come  to  be 
done,  you  all  backed  out  and  left  me  to  'do  it — but  this  is  the 
last  time — I  shall  never  lift  my  hand  against  a  man  in  the 
dark 


,,. 


154  LEGENDS   OF    THE    WEST. 

"  Yes,  you  will,"  said  a  coarse  voice  ;  and  the  speaker  fol- 
lowed by  another  person  entered  the  room. 

"  Harpe  !"  exclaimed  several  voices. 

"  Ay — that's  my  name  ;  I  am  not  ashamed  to  own  it." 

"  You  ought  to  be,"  rejoined  Patterson,  "  for  if  ever  there 
was  a  bloody-minded  villain " 

"  That's  enough,"  said  Harpe  fiercely,  "  you  and  I  know 
each  other,  and  the  less  we  say  of  one  another  the  better." 

"  I  never  killed  a  man,"  said  Patterson. 

"  Because  you  haven't  the  courage,"  cried  Harpe  ;  "  but 
vou  pass  counterfeit  money  and  steal  horses — and  besides 
that,  don't  I  know  something  about  a  man's  that  just  gone 
from  here,  and  another  that's  asleep,"  pointing  significantly 
upwards. 

Patterson  saw  that  Harpe  had  been  eavesdropping,  and 
felt  the  necessity  of  compromising  matters. 

"  I  was  only  joking,  Mr.  Harpe,"  said  he :  "  what  you  do 
is  nothing  to  nobody  but  yourself — go  your  ways,  and  I'll  go 
mine." 

"  I  am  willing  to  do  you  a  good  turn,"  replied  Harpe, 

"  and  you  must  do  me  one  ;  that  lad  up  there  must  be 

you  understand — or  else  you  must  quit  the  country — and 
there's  another  that  I  missed  in  the  woods,  that  must  be  hunted 
up  in  the  morning — help  me,  and  I'll  help  you." 

Colburn  had  been  satisfied,  until  now,  that  he  was  safe  for 
the  night.  Being  the  son  of  a  respectable  farmer  in  a  neigh- 
bouring settlement,  whose  courage  and  enterprise  were  well 
known,  and  being  popular  himself,  he  was  aware  that  Patter- 
son and  his  gang  would  not  dare  to  molest  him  under  the  roof 
of  Jenkins,  where  a  deed  of  violence  could  not  be  perpetrated 
without  the  risk  of  discovery.  Had  he  been  a  stranger,  his 
situation  would  have  been  hopeless  ;  the  chances  of  detection 
would  in  that  case  have  been  few,  and  the  danger  of  retribu- 
tion small,  compared  with  the  consequences  that  would  result 
from  an  injury  to  himself.  That  an  attempt  would  be  made 


HARPE'S  HEAD.  155 

in  the  morning  to  waylay  him  in  the  woods,  where  no  witness 
would  be  present,  he  saw  was  probable,  and  to  escape  that 
danger  required  all  his  ingenuity.  B"ut  the  arrival  of  the 
Harpes,  and  the  disclosures  he  had  heard,  convinced  him  that 
he  was  placed  in  imminent  peril. 

At  the  time  of  the  escape  of  the  Harpes  from  justice  in 
the  manner  formerly  related,  their  names  were  unknown  in 
Kentucky.  They  were  strangers  in  the  country,  and  the 
aggression  for  which  they  were  then  in  custody  was  the  first 
that  they  were  known  to  have  committed.  Since  then,  a 
series  of  shocking  massacres  had  given  them  a  dreadful 
notoriety.  They  had  passed  through  the  whole  length  of  the 
scattered  settlements  of  this  wild  region,  leaving  a  bloody 
track  to  mark  their  ruthless  footsteps.  They  spared  neither 
age  nor  sex,  but  murdered  every  unprotected  being  who  fell 
in  their  way.  What  was  most  extraordinary,  they  appeared 
to  destroy  without  motive  or  temptation.  Plunder  was  a 
secondary  object ;  the  harmless  negro  and  the  child  were 
their  victims  as  often  as  the  traveller  or  the  farmer.  A 
native  thirst  for  blood,  or  a  desire  of  vengeance  for  some  real 
or  imaginary  injury,  seemed  to  urge  them  on  in  their  horrible 
warfare  against  their  species.  They  had  escaped  apprehen- 
sion thus  far,  in  consequence  of  the  peculiar  circumstances  of 
the  country,  and  by  a  singular  exertion  of  boldness  and  cun- 
ning. Mounted  on  fleet  and  powerful  horses,  they  fled,  after 
the  perpetration  of  an  outrage,  and  were  heard  of  no  more, 
until  they  appeared  suddenly  at  some  distant  arid  unexpected 
point  to  commit  new  enormities.  Their  impunity  thus  far 
was  the  more  astonishing,  as  the  people  of  the  frontier  have 
always  been  remarkable  for  the  public  spirit,  alertness,  and 
success  with  which  they  pursue  offenders,  who  seldom  escape 
these  keen  and  indefatigable  hunters. 

Colburn  was  aware  that  from  such  enemies  he  had  no 
chance  of  escape  but  in  immediate  flight,  and  hastily  putting 
on  his  clothes,  he  had  the  good  fortune  to  slip  out  of  the 


156  LEGENDS   OF   THE    WEST. 

house  unperceived.'  A  few  minutes  afterwards,  a  loud  halloe- 
ing  from  beyond -the  stockade  announced  the  arrival  of  other 
travellers ;  and  Captain  Jenkins  soon,  appeared,  introducing 
a  lady  and  gentleman  into  the  common  room,  which  served 
as  a  receptacle  for  all  the  guests,  gentle,  simple,  or  compound, 
whom  chance  or  inclination  brought  to  .this  primitive  hotel. 
The  lady  was  Miss  Virginia  Pendleton,  and  the  gentleman 
Colonel  Hendrickson,  her  uncle — an  elderly -man,  of  plain, 
but  peculiarly  imposing  exterior.  He  was  spare  and  muscu- 
lar, and,  though  past  the  age  of  fifty,  seemed  to  be  in  the 
vigour  of  strength  and  activity.  His  person  was  erect,  his 
.step  martial,  and  somewhat  stately.  His  features,  sunburnt 
and  nearly  as  dark  as  those  of  the  Indian,  were  austere,  and 
announced  uncompromising  firmness.  There  was  in  his 
deportment  towards  Miss  Pehdleton  a  mixture  of  parental 
kindness  with  the  punctilious  courtesy  observed  by  the  gen- 
tlemen of  Kentucky  towards  all  females,  as  Well  those  of 
their  own  families  as  others.  There  was  even  a  more  than 
ordinary  degree  of  polite  observance  in  his  attentions,  which 
might  have  arisen,  in  part,  from  a  spontaneous  admiration  of 
the  womanly  graces  of  his  lovely  ward,  and  have  flowed  in 
part  from  sympathy  for  her  misfortunes.  These  feelings 
produced  a  kind  of  fatherly  gallantry,  a  mixture -of  delicacy 
and  respect  with  fondness  and  admiration,  which  blended 
harmoniously  with  the  plain  but  dignified  and  gentlemanly 
air  of  the  veteran  pioneer.  They  were  followed  by  two 
negroes,  a  man  and  maid  servant,  who,  having  removed  the 
outer  garments  of  their  master  and  mistress,  retired  to  the 
kitchen. 

The  arrival  of  Colonel  Hendrickson  struck  the  ruffian 
party  who  were  assembled  round  the  fire  with  awe,  for  ho, 
had  long  been  a  terror  to  evil-doers.  They  shrunk  back  to 
make  room  for  the  travellers,  while  Micajah  Harpe  drew 
Patterson  out  of  the  apartment,  and  disclosed  to  him  a  tre- 
mendous scheme  of  diabolical  revenge.  Representing  the 


HARPE'SHEAD.  157 

advantage  which  would  accrue  to  themselves  by  ridding  the 
country  of  Colonel  Hendrickson,  an  active  magistrate  and  a 
man  of  military  skill  and  intrepidity,  he  proposed  not  only 
to  murder  him  and  his  fair  ward;  but  to  destroy  all  evidence 
of  the  foul  act  by  including  Jenkins  and  all  the  inmates  of 
the  house.  Patterson  started  back  in  horror  at  this  proposal. 
The  felons  who  sometimes  infest  our  frontiers  have  .generally 
an  aversion  against  deeds  of  violence,  and  seldom  practise  on 
the  lives  of  those  they  plunder ;  Patterson,  though  dissipated, 
unprincipled,  and  a  hardened  depredator,  had  never  dipped 
his  hands  in  blood.  But  human  nature  is  always  progressive 
m. depravity  or  in  virtue.  The  heart  of  man  is  continually 
becoming  strengthened  in  principle,  or  callous  to  the  dictates 
of  conscience ;  and  he  who  embarks  in  criminal  pursuits  can 
affix  no  limits  to  his  own  atrocity.  Some  recent  occurrences 
had  rendered  Patterson  more  than  ordinarily  reckless,  and 
stirred  up  his  vindictive  passions;  he  was  disappointed,  ex- 
cited, and  intoxicated — tind  the  foul  compact  was  made. 

Supper  was  prepared  for  the  travellers,  and  placed  upon  the 
table.  Colonel  Hendrickson  led  his  niece  to  the  ample  board, 
and  as  soon  as  they  were  seated,  bowed  his  head,  which  was 
slightly  silvered  with  .age,  and  in  a  manly,  solemn  voice, 
implored  the  blessing  of  Divine  Providence.  At  that  mo- 
ment, while  the  uncle  and  niece  sat  with  eyes  bent  down- 
wards, the  two  Harpes  appeared  in  the  door,  and  deliberately 
aimed  their  rifles  at  the  unconscious  travellers.  Their  fingers 
were  already  on  the  triggers — their  eyes,  gleaming  hellish 
vengeance,  were  directed  along  the  deadly  tubes  with  un- 
erring skill,  and  another  second  would  have  rendered  all 
human  aid  unavailing,  when  each  of  the  ruffians  was  felled 
by  a*  powerful  blow  from  behind.  The  rifles  went  off,  sending 
the  bullets  whistling  over  the  heads  of  those  who  had  beep 
doomed  to  death.  Patterson  and  some  of  his  gang  rushed 
to  the  rescue  of  their  confederates,  while  the  assailants, 
snatching  the  guns  from  the  grasp  of  the  prostrate  ruffians, 


158  LEGENDS   OF   THE    WEST. 

passed  rapidly  over  their  bodies,  and  Fennimore  and  Colburn 
stood  by  the  side  of  Colonel  Hendrickson,  who  in  an  instant 
comprehended  the  scene,  and  acted  warily  on  the  defensive. 
They  were  all  brave  and  athletic,  and  although  opposed  to 
thrice  their  numbers,  the  gentlemen  thus  accidentally  thrown 
together,  stood  erect,  fearless,  alert,  and  silent.  There  is  a 
dignity  in  courage  which  awes  even  opposing  courage,  and 
subdues  by  a  look  the  mere  hardihood  which  is  unsupported 
by  principle.  The  ruffians  had  crowded  tumultuously  into 
the  room ;  but  when  Colonel  Hendrickson  and  his  two 
friends,  who  were  all  armed,  advanced  to  meet  them,  they 
faltered.  Harpe,  who  was  again  on  his  feet,  with  a  voice  of 
desperation  and  the  fury  of  a  demon  urged  them  to  the 
attack  ;  but  they  stood  irresolute,  each  unwilling  to  commit 
himself  by  striking  the  first  blow,  and  fearful  of  being  the 
foremost  in  assailing  men  who  stood  prepared  to  sell  their 
lives  at  the  dearest  price ;  and  when  Colonel  Hendrickson, 
in  a  tone  of  the  most  perfect  composure  and  in  the  most 
contemptuous  language,  commanded  them  to  retire,  with 
bitter  reproaches  on  their  baseness,  they  slunk  away,  one  by 
one,  until  the  two  Harpes,  finding  themselves  deserted, 
retreated,  muttering  horrible  imprecations. 

The  doors  were  now  secured,  and  the  arrangement  being 
made  that  one  of  the  party  should  act  as  a  sentinel  while  the 
others  slept,  alternately,  the  travellers  separated,  but  not  until 
Colonel  Hendrickson  returned  to  Colburn.  who  was  his  neigh- 
bour, and  to  Mr.  Fennimore,  whom  he  now  saw  for  the  first 
time,  his  hearty  thanks  and  commendations  for  their  gallant 
interference.  Miss  Pendleton,  in  acknowledging  her  ac- 
quaintance with  the  young  officer,  extended  her  hand  with  a 
cordiality  which  evinced  her  gratitude,  and  having  introduced 
him  to  her  uncle,  retired. 


HARPE'S   HEAD.  159 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

ON  the  following  morning,  Miss  Pencil eton  met  the  young 
officer  who  had  a  second  time  been  instrumental  in  saving 
her  life,  with  some  embarrassment.  She  had  seen  him  first 
in  the  spring-day  of  her  happiness  and  the  pride  of  her  beauty, 
and  had  mentally  awarded  to  him  that  preference  over  most 
other  men  of  her  acquaintance,  which  the  heart  so  readily  ac- 
cords to  a  pleasing  and  amiable  exterior.  He  was  associated 
in  her  mind  with  the  last  of  her  days  of  joy,  and  with  the 
dawn  of  her  misfortunes.  She  had  twice  witnessed  his  cour- 
age, voluntarily  and  generously  exerted  in  her  behalf;  and 
if  she  acknowledged  to  herself  the  existence  of  no  more  tender 
feeling,  she  felt  that  she  at  least  owed  him  a  debt  of  gratitude. 
His  abrupt  departure  from  Virginia,  at  a  time  when  his  own 
conduct  had  seemed  mysterious,  and  when  some  explanation 
seemed  to  be  due  to  herself,  or  to  the  representatives  of  the 
deceased  Major  Heyward,  surprised  and  perplexed  her.  She 
had  ascertained  that  he  was  related,  in  what  degree  she  knew 
not,  to  the  guardian  of  her  youth,  and  his  interests  had  been 
placed  in  painful  opposition  to  her  own.  These  recollections 
passed  hastily  through  her  mind,  and  she  met  him  with  a 
flushed  cheek  and  a  constrained  manner,  very  foreign  from 
the  usual  easy  frankness  of  her  deportment.  But  she  saw  in 
him  the  same  traits  of  character  which  at  first  won  her  con- 
fidence— the  same  calm  self-possession,  cheerful  conversation, 
and  open  countenance  ;  and  the  thin  clouds  of  suspicion  which 


160  LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 

had  cast  a  momentary  shadow  over  her  mind,  floated  rapidly 
away. 

After  an  early  breakfast,  the  whole  party  mounted  and 
commenced  the  journey  of  the  day,  for  in  new  countries, 
ladies  as  well  as  gentlemen  travel  only  on  horseback.  They 
were  not  without  their  apprehensions  that  the  Harpes,  who 
were  desperate  and  unrelenting  villains,  might  endeavour  to 
take  revenge  for  the  disappointment  of  the  preceding  night 
by  firing  upon  them  from  some  covert. in  the  woods;  but 
Colonel  Hendrickson,  confident  that  his  name  and  standing 
would  deter  their  late  confederates  from  joining  in  any  such 
attack,  considered  his  party. sufficiently  strong  to  repel  any 
attempt  that  might  be  mad©  upon  it.  But  every  precaution 
was  used  to  ensure  safety  ;  the  gentlemen,  who  were  all  pro- 
vided with  rifles,  loaded  them  carefully,  and  the.  little  com- 
pany was  arranged  with  all  the  precision  that  would  have 
attended  the  march  of  a  squadron  of  cavalry.  Fermimore 
managed,  as  young  men  are  apt  to  do  in  such  cases,  to  place 
himself  by  the  side  of  Miss  Pendleton,  the  other  two  gentlemen 
took  the  van,  while  the  servants  brought  up  the  rear.  Their 
way  led.  through  the  same  lonesome  expanse  of  forest  which 
had  been  traversed  by  Mr.  Lee,  when  suddenly  ejected  from 
the  hospitable  roof  of  Captain  Jenkins,  in  the  manner  related : 
a  vast  wilderness,  rich  in  the  spontaneous  productions  of 
nature,  but  in  which  the  travellers  could  not  expect  to  see  a 
human  being,  or  a  dwelling,  until  their  arrival  at  their  place 
of  destination. 

In  travelling,  many  of  .the  restraints  of  social  intercourse  are 
necessarily  laid- aside  ;  and  those  whose  lots  are  thus  for  the 
time  being  cast  together,  find  it  expedient  as  well  as  agreeable 
to  render  themselves  acceptable  to  each  other.  There  is  a 
race  of  islanders,  who,  in  travelling,  become  even  more  unso- 
cial, morose,  and  supercilious,  than  they  are  at  home ;  but 
the  ordinary  effect  of  this  occupation  upon  human  nature  is 
«uch  as  we  have  suggested  ;  and  well-bred  persons,  in  parties 


HARPEV;HEAD.  161 

lar,  always  bring  their  politeness  into  active  exercise,  when 
the  necessity  of  the  case  renders  this  accomplishment  a  virtue. 
And  at  the  risk  of  being  accused  of  national  vanity,  we  will 
assert  that  our  own  countrymen  are  the  best  travellers  in  the 
world,  the  most  affable,  patient,  and  cheerful,  and  the  least 
incommoded  by  accidental  hardships.  An  occasion  like  the 
one  before  us  is  particularly  calculated  to  produce  the  effects 
to  which  we  have  alluded — when  the  long  and  lonesome  way 
exhibits  a  wild  but  gloomy  monotony  of  scenery,  and  a  sense 
of  danger  unites  the  parties  in  the  bond  of  a  common  in- 
terest. 

Thus  felt  the  young  and  grateful  pair  of  riders,  who  had, 
besides,  so  many  reasons  for  entertaining  a  strong  interest  in 
each  other.  Mr.  Fennimore  exerted  all  his  powers  in  the 
endeavour  to  render  himself  agreeable,  and  people  who  try  te- 
please  most  generally  succeed,  for  the  art  of  pleasing  depends 
almost  entirely  upon  the  will ;  and  the  young  lady  with  that 
admirable  tact,  in  the  possession  of  which  her  sex  is  infinitely 
superior  to  ours,  displayed  her  conversational  powers  with 
more  than  ordinary  vivacity  and  eloquence.  We  shall  not 
set  down  what  passed,  because  we  were' not  there ;  and  if  we 
had  been,  it  would  ill  become1  us  to  give  publicity  to  tho.se 
sprightly  and  unpremeditated  sallies  which  were  never  in- 
tended for  other  ears  than  those  to  which  they  were  addressed, 
but  flowed  spontaneously  from  young  hearts  in  the  glow  of 
unrestrained  feeling.  Tradition  has  only  preserved  the  fact, 
that  although  they  rode  forth  from  the  woodland  fortress,  on 
a  bright  sunny  morning,  as  stately  as  a  hero  and  heroine  of 
chivalry,  it  was  not  long  "before  they  were  laughing  and  chat- 
ting like  people  of  flesh  and  blood  and  wit  and  feeling. 

They  had  travelled  for  some  hours  when  the  experienced 
eye  of  Colonel  Hendrickson  discovered  the  fresh  track  of  a  ' 
horse  in  the  path  before  them.     On  dismounting  and  exam- 
ining more  closely,  it  appeared  that  several  horses  had  entered 
the  path  at  this  place  and  passed  on  in  the  same  direction 


162  LEGENDS    OF    THE    WEST. 

pursued  by  our  travellers ;  and  one  of  the  tracks  was  pro- 
nounced by  Colburn  to  be  that  of  the  horse  of  Patterson. 
That  the  gang  whose  villainy  they  had  so  much  cause  to  dread, 
should  have  taken  the  same  direction  with  themselves,  and  at 
the  same  time  should  have  avoided  the  beaten  path  for  so 
great  a  distance,  were  circumstances  so  suspicious  as  to  leave 
little  doubt  of  a  design  to  attack  them  at  some  point,  which 
was  now  probably  near  at  hand.  In  the  irritation  of  the  mo- 
ment, nothing  would  have  pleased  these  gentlemen  more 
than  to  have  marched  directly  upon  the  ruffians ;  but  a  pro- 
per care  for  the  lady  under  their  charge  rendered  more  pru- 
dent measures  advisable ;  and,  after  a  short  consultation,  it 
was  determined  to  abandon  the  road  and  to  endeavour  to 
avoid  the  danger  by  taking  a  circuitous  route  through  the 
forest.  They  now  proceeded  rapidly  through  the  woods,  ob- 
serving all  the  precautions  of  a  warlike  party  ;  avoiding  the 
thickets  and  low  grounds,  and  keeping  along  the  ridges  and  in 
the  most  open  woods.  This  mode  of  travelling  was  extremely 
arduous,  for  they  were  now  obliged  to  pass  over  many  in- 
equalities of  ground,  and  to  surmount  a  variety  of  obstacles. 
At  one  moment  they  leaped  their  horses  over  the  trunk  of  a 
fallen  tree,  at  another  they  climbed  a  steep  hill ;  sometimes 
deep  ravines  were  to  be  crossed,  and  sometimes  low  branches, 
or  the  great  grape-vines  swinging  from  tree  to  tree  obliged 
them  to  bow  their  heads  as  they  passed  along. 

After  riding  several  miles  in  this  manner,  guided  only  by 
that  knowledge  of  natural  appearances  which  enables  the  ex- 
perienced hunter  to  ascertain  the  points  of  the  compass, 
under  almost  any  circumstances,  they  arrived  at  the  bank  of 
a  deep  creek,  which  was  not  fordable  except  at  the  spot  where 
it  was  crossed  by  the  road  they  had  forsaken,  and  where  the 
robbers  would  be  most  likely  to  await  their  approach.  As 
there  are  several  modes  of  passing  over  streams,  practised  by 
backwoodsmen,  they  rode  along  the  bank  consulting  as  to  the 
most  practicable  expedient,  when  they  reached  a  place  where 


HAR.PE'S   HEAD.  163 

a  large  tree  had  fallen  across  the  creek,  affording  the  very  fa- 
cility which  they  desired.  Few  ladies,  however,  would  have 
possessed  sufficient  courage  and  dexterity  to  have  walked 
over  this  natural  bridge.  The  banks  of  the  creek  were  ex- 
tremely high,  and  the  trunk  of  the  fallen  tree  was  still  fur- 
ther elevated  by  the  large  roots  at  the  one  end,  and  the  im- 
mense branches  at  the  other,  so  that  its  distance  from  the 
water  was  so  great,  as  to  render  it  unpleasant  to  look  down- 
wards. But  Virginia  had  a  mind  which  could  not  be  daunted 
by  ordinary  dangers,  and  stepping  nimbly  upon  the  log,  she 
walked  with  a  firm  step  along  its  round  and  narrow  surface, 
and  reached  the  opposite  shore  in  safety.  The  saddles  and 
baggage  were  carried  over  by  the  same  way.  The  greatest 
difficulty  was  to  cross  the  horses,  for  the  banks  were  so  steep 
and  miry,  as  to  render  it  impossible  to  get  them  into  the 
water.  By  dint  of  coaxing,  pushing,  and  whipping,  however, 
all  the  animals  were  forced  in,  except  that  belonging  to  Col- 
burn  ;  and  after  swimming  part  of  the  way,  and  floundering 
through  mire  the  remainder,  they  struggled  up  the  opposite 
bank,  where  Colonel  Hendrickson  and  Fennimore  stood  to 
receive  them. 

Colburn  had  remained  alone,  and  was  about  to  send  over 
the  last  horse  which  was  still  fastened  to  a  tree,  when  the 
rapid  tramp  of  horses'  feet  was  heard  upon  the  dry  leaves, 
and  he  had  barely  time  to  unloose  his  steed  and  spring  upon 
its  back,  when  Patterson  and  his  confederates  came  sweeping 
towards  him  at  full  speed.  To  cross  the  creek  with  his  horse 
was  now  impossible ;  to  abandon  the  animal  and  seek  safety 
for  himself  on  the  other  side  would  have  been  but  the  work 
of  an  instant,  but  Colburn  loved  his  horse,  and  had  too  much 
spirit  to  give  him  up  to  an  enemy.  Besides,  the  heroic  idea 
occurred  to  him  at  the  moment,  of  making  a  diversion  in  fa- 
vour of  his  friends,  by  drawing  the  pursuit  upon  himself. 
Catching  up  his  rifle  which  leaned  against  a  tree,  he  shouted 
to  his  companions  to  take  care  of  themselves,  and  turning 


104  LEGENDS    OF    THE    WEST. 

towards  the  pursuers,  flourished  his  weapon  round  his  head  in 
bravado,  and  dashed  off  through  the  forest.  The  outlaws 
saw  that  the  party  which  had  crossed  the  creek  was  beyond 
their  grasp,  as  it  was  but  a  few  miles  to  Colonel  Hendrick- 
son's  settlement,  which  could  be  reached  by  the  fugitives  be- 
fore they  themselves  could  accomplish  the  tedious  process  of 
crossing  with  their  horses ;  nor  were  they  willing  to  attempt 
the  passage  in  the  face  of  two  resolute  men  armed  with  rifles. 
Their  whole  fury,  therefore,  was  turned  towards  Colburn,  and 
uttering  a  volley  of  execrations,  they  put  spurs  to  their 
horses,  and  •  went  off  at  full  speed,  in  pursuit  of  the  young 
forester. 

Colburn,  well  mounted  and  .admirably  skilled  in  all  the 
arts  of  the  hunter,  had  little  doubt  of  being  able  to  evade  his 
enemies  by  speed  or  artifice.;  and  guided  only  by  the  sun, 
and  by -his  knowledge  of  the  country,  pressed  onward  through 
the  trackless  forest.  Relying  on  the  great  strength  of  his 
steed,  and  his  own  superior  horsemanship,  he  often  chose  the 
most  difficult  ground,  leaping  over"  ravines,  plunging  down 
steep  declivities, 'or  dashing  through  dense  thickets  where 
thorns  and  tangled  vines  seemed  to  render  it  impossible  for 
any  animal  to  pass ;  and  he  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing 
more  than  one  of  his  pursuers  thrown  from  their  horses, 
while  others  were  left  in  the  rear.  Still  they  kept  upon  his 
track,  with  the  unerring  sagacity  of  woodsmen. 

Patterson,  who,  although  the  largest  man,  was  best 
mounted,  soon  left  his  comrades^  straining  forward  to  over- 
take the  young  hunter ;  while  Colburn,  confident  of  success, 
and- anxious  only  to  separate  his  pursuers  and  keep  them  in 
his  rear,  so  as  to  prevent  their  surrounding  or  intercepting 
him,  held  up  his  horse,  to  husband  his  powers  for  a  long  race. 
But  he  had  judged  too  meanly  of  the  animal  ridden  by  Pat- 
terson, who  soon  came  in  sight,  uttering  a  loud  yell  when  he 
beheld  the  young  forester,  and  madly  urging  his  steed  over 
every  obstacle.  Still  the  -  advantage  \\'as  in  favour  of  Col- 


HARPE'S    HEAD.  165 

burn,  who,  being  the  lightest  rider,  and  mounted  on  a  fine, 
blooded  animal,  led  the  outlaw  through  the  most  intricate 
ways,  passing  dexterously  through  thickets  apparently  impene- 
trable, plunging  into  deep  morasses,  and  leaping  ravines 
which  seemed  impassable.  The  latter  pursued  with  spirit, 
sometimes  gaining  a  view  of  his  adversary,  and  sometimes 
falling  in -the  rear. 

At  one  time  an  accident  had  nearly  decided  the  contest,  for 
Colburn's  horse  became  entangled  in  a  close  thicket  of  hazel 
and  grape-vines,  and  the  outlaw  came  near  enough  to  discharge 
his  rifle  deliberately,  and  with  so,  true  an  aim  that  the  ball 
passed  along  the  side  of  the  hunter  inflicting  a  severe  though 
not  a  dangerous  wound.  The  young  man  extricated  himself 
from  the  tangle'd  brushwood,  reined  up  his  horse,  and  turning 
towards  his  enemy  waved  his  hat  in  the  air,  shouted  in  deri- 
sion,  and  then  rode  on  with  unsubdued  alacrity.  At  last,  "ill 
leaping  over  the  trunk  of  a  fallen  tree,  his  horse  sprained  an 
ankle  and  Colburn  found  that  it  was  impossible  to  retreat  any 
longer.  A  gentle  swell  o'f  the  ground  concealed  him  at  that 
moment. from  Patterson,  who  had  stopped  to  reload  his  rifle, 
and  hastily  pushing  his  horse  into  a  clump  of  bushes  he 
crouched  behind  a  tree  to  await  the  coming  of  his  foe.  In  a 
few  minutes  Patterson  came  in  sight,  pressing  eagerly  forward 
with  his  heels  closed  into  his  horse's  flanks,  his  eye  gleaming 
with  fury  and  his  countenance  animated  by  the  excitement  of 
an  anticipated  triumph.  When  he  arrived  within  a  few  paces 
of  the  spot  where  Colburn  stood  concealed,  the  latter  stepped 
boldly  out,  directly  in  front  of  the  advancing  horseman  and 
presented  his  rifle'..  Patterson  with  a  powerful  arm  reined  up 
his  horse,  dropped  the  bridle  and  threw  his  gun  to  his  shoulder ; 
and  before  he  could  fire  the  young  forester's  ball  passed 
through  his  body,  and  the  wretch  fell  forward  with  a  deep 
groan  upon  his  horse's  neck.  Instantly  recovering  his  strength, 
he  raised  himself  in  his  stirrups  -and  charged  upon  Colburn 
with  his  rifle  presented  ;  but  the  latter  no  longer  avoiding  the 


166  LEGENDS   OF   THE    WEST. 

combat  darted  nimbly  upon  his  foe,  and  throwing  his  arms 
around  him  dragged  him  from  the  saddle.  For  a  moment 
they  struggled  fiercely  upon  the  ground  ;  the  ruffian  abandon- 
ing his  gun  drew  his  knife ;  but  Colburn  parried  the  stroke 
and  at  the  same  time  disengaging  himself  seized  the  loaded 
rifle  of  his  adversary  and  stood  on  the  defensive.  Patterson 
attempted  to  rise,  but  his  career  of  crime  was  ended  ! 

The  young  forester  now  caught  the  outlaw's  horse,  which 
stood  trembling  beside  his  own  disabled  animal,  and  having 
re-loaded  his  rifle  continued  his  retreat.  He  was  pursued  no 
further.  The  ruffian  gang  were  struck  with  panic  when  they 
reached  the  spot  where  their  comrade  lay  in  his  gore,  a  man- 
gled corpse.  They  had  perhaps  carried  their  scheme  further 
than  had  been  at  first  intended,  and  they  now  feared  the  con- 
sequences of  their  audacious  attempt.  The  remains  of  Pat- 
terson were  hastily  buried  at  the  lone  spot  where  he  had  fallen ; 
and  the  unprincipled  companions  of  his  guilty  life,  dispersing 
in  different  directions,  sought  safety  in  concealment  or  flight. 

Colonel  Hendrickson  and  his  young  friends  had  been  greatly 
shocked  on  beholding  the  peril  in  which  Colburn  was  placed 
when  surprised,  as  we  have  narrated.  But  it  was  impossible 
to  render  him  any  assistance,  and  when  the  sounds  of  the  pur- 
suit died  away,  they  recommenced  their  journey  with  heavy 
hearts.  They  soon  regained  the  road  which  they  had  left  in 
the  morning,  and  descending  from  the  high  grounds  struck 
into  a  rich  flat  through  which  a  deep  creek  was  sluggishly  mean- 
dering. On  their  right  hand  the  Ohio,  smooth  and  transparent 
as  a  mirror,  suddenly  burst  upon  their  view.  They  stopped 
and  gazed  for  a  moment  with  delight — for  there  is  something 
so  cheerful  in  the  appearance  of  a  beautiful  sheet  of  water,  that 
tne  same  scenery  which  had  seemed  gloomy  without  it,  be- 
came, with  this  addition,  gay,  brilliant,  and  romantic.  The 
western  bank  of  the  river  was  low  and  fringed  to  the  water's 
edge  with  trees,  whose  long  limbs  dipped  into  the  current, 
while  their  shadows  stretched  far  over  tbo  stream,  and  pictured 


HARPE'S    HEAD.  167 

the  exact  contour  of  the  shore  upon  the  green  surface.  Nearer 
to  them  the  beams  of  the  setting  sun  fell  upon  the  water, 
tinging  it  with  a  golden  hue.  There  was  a  softness  and  repose 
in  this  landscape  that  were  irresistibly  charming ;  no  living 
object  was  to  be  seen,  not  a  leaf  moved,  not  a  sound  was 
heard  ;  all  was  serene  and  silent. 

Their  path  now  pursued  the  course  of  the  river  for  a  short 
distance,  then  turning  from  it  at  right  angles  crossed  the  creek 
by  a  deep  ford.  They  had  nearly  reached  the  ford  ing-place, 
when  their  horses  pricked  their  ears,  snorted  aloud,  and  stopped 
trembling  in  the  path.  At  the  same  instant  the  travellers  dis- 
covered that  they  were  beset  on  all  sides  by  a  party  of  In- 
dians, hideously  painted,  who  had  risen  from  an  ambuscade, 
and  stood  around  with  their  rifles  pointed,  and  their  black 
eyes  gleaming  with  a  hellish  triumph.  They  uttered  a  terrific 
yell  when  they  beheld  their  victims  ;  our  travellers  saw  their 
ghastly  smiles,  their  murderous  looks,  their  flashing  knives, 
and  felt  in  anticipation  the  tortures  of  a  lingering  death.  A 
single  glance  satisfied  them  that  it  was  impossible  to  reach 
the  ford,  as  the  largest  body  of  the  savages  stood  in  that 
direction,  while  on  either  hand  they  were  so  stationed  as  to  cut 
off  all  hope  of  retreat.  One  of  superior  stature  stood  in  the 
path  a  few  paces  before  them,  laughing  with  demoniac  exulta- 
tion as  he  took  a  deliberate  aim  and  discharged  his  rifle.  This 
was  the  signal  of  attack ;  several  others  fired  at  the  same 
time,  and  a  number  of  tomahawks  whistled  around  the  heads 
of  the  assailed  party. 

Colonel  Hendrickson  and  Mr.  Fennimore  closed  up  on 
each  side  of  Miss  Pendleton,  endeavouring  to  shield  her  with 
their  own  persons,  and  beating  back  the  assailants  with  the 
most  desperate  courage.  But  they  were  overpowered  by 
numbers.  Colonel  Hendrickson  was  dragged  to  the  ground. 
Fennimore  received  a  wound  which  caused  him  to  reel  in  his 
saddle.  A  faint  and  sickly  numbness  was  creeping  over  him. 
At  this  instant  his  horse  wheeled  suddenly  and  plunged  into 


168  LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 

the  thicket.  He  rushed  through  the  savage  band,  who  in  vain 
attempted  to  arrest  his  flight,  and  in  a  moment  stood  on  the 
margin  of  the  creek.  The  bank  was  perpendicular,  arising  to 
a  considerable  height  above  the  water;  but  the  noble  animal 
without  hesitating  leaped  forward  and  alighted  in  the  turbid 
stream,  about  midway  from  either  shore.  A'  few  powerful 
struggles  brought  him  to  the  opposite  side,  which  was  steep, 
but  less  precipitous  than  the  other.  Clambering  up  tfie  bank 
he  SOOH  reached  the  level  of  the  plain,  and  darted  through  the 
forest  with  the  swiftness  of  an  arrow,  bearing  his  rider 
wounded. and  nearly  insensible  beyond  the  reach  of  pursuit. 


HARPE'S    HEAD. 


CHAPTBE    XIX. 

THE  place  to  which  Mr.  Lee  was  conducted  by  his  captors 
was  situated  in  a  secluded  valley  among  a  range  of  low 
hiVls.  At  a  spot  from  which  the  underbrush  had  been  cleared 
away,  so  as  to  form  an  open  space,  shaded  by  tall  trees,  a 
number  of  Indian  warriors  armed  and  painted  for  war  were 
arranged  in  a  circle  and  seated  upon  the  ground.  In  the  cen- 
tre, strongly  bound  to  a  tree,  was  a  man  of  large  stature, 
whose  face  was  painted  black, — an  indication,  as  Lee  recol- 
lected to  have  heard,  that  the  prisoner  was  doomed  to  death. 
Near  the  victim  was  a  lady  also  bound,  in  whom  the  eye  of 
our  young  friend  instantly  recognised  the  companion  of  his 
childhood,  the  idol  of  his  heart,  the  long-loved  Virginia  Pen- 
dleton ! 

The  warriors  of  the  newly  arrived  party  were  received 
with  much  ceremony  by  their  friends,  with  whom  they  took 
their  seats,  while  Mr.  Lee  and  Hark  were  placed  within  the 
circle.  A  conversation  ensued,  in  which  only  the  older  and 
more  conspicuous  of  the  warriors  participated.  They  spoke 
with  deliberation  but  with  much  emphasis,  and  from  their 
pointing  frequently  towards  the  east,  it  was  inferred  that  they 
were  severally  relating  to  each  other  the  incidents  of  the  late 
predatory  excursion. 

Their  attention  was  then  directed  towards  their  prisoners, 
and  the  interest  with  which  they  referred  to  him  who  was 
bound  to  the  tree,  who  was  Colonel  Hendrickson.  showed  that 
8 


170  LEGENDS    OF    THE    WEST. 

they  exulted  in  his  capture  with  no  ordinary  degree  of  triumph. 
One  of  the  warriors  approached  him  and  addressed  to  him  a 
speech  in  which  he  seemed  to  pour  out  a  volume  of  eloquent 
hatred,  contempt,  and  ridicule  upon  the  defenceless  captive, 
often  brandishing  his  tomahawk  as  he  spoke,  and  describing 
with  gestures  too  significant  to  be  mistaken,  the  tortures  that 
were  proposed  to  be  inflicted.  The  unfortunate  gentleman 
eyed  him  with  perfect  composure,  and  listened  to  his  speech 
without  showing  the  least  appearance  of  fear  or  irritation. 
Several  warriors  then  placed  themselves  in  front  of  the  cap- 
tive, and  prepared  to  throw  their  tomahawks. 

Lee,  whose  good-nature  and  chivalrous  feelings  began  to 
be  warmly  enlisted,  now  sprung  up,  and  rushing  towards  the 
victim  exclaimed  to  the  torturers,  "Gentlemen!  gentlemen 
Indians'  consider  what  you  are  about — don't  murder  thegen- 
tlemar  !  If  he  has  done  you  any  harm,  I'll  be  security  that 
he  shall  make  you  ample  satisfaction ;"  while  poor  Virginia 
shrinked  and  buried  her  face  in  her  hands.  In  a  moment 
G'iorge  Lee  was  at  her  side ;  "Virginia!  dear  Virginia  !"  he 
o/ied, " don't  be  alarmed — they  shall  not  touch  you — I'll  fight 
for  you  while  there's  a  drop  of  blood  in  my  veins !"  But 
the  Indians  did  not  intend  to  slay  their  prisoner.  Paying 
no  attention  to  the  distress  of  his  friends,  which  only  afforded 
them  amusement,  they  threw  their  tomahawks,  one  after  an- 
other, in  such  a  manner  as  to  strike  them  into  the  tree  imme- 
diately over  his  head,  each  striving  to  come  as  near  as  possi- 
ble to  the  mark  without  actually  hitting  it.  Others  came  and 
threw  spears  in  the  same  mode,  and  a  variety  of  other  means 
were  used  to  torture  and  intimidate  their  victim,  and  to  induce 
him  to  degrade  himself  by  showing  some  symptom  of  alarm. 
But  all  to  no  purpose:  Colonel  Hendrickson  was  well  ac- 
quainted with  the  habits  of  his  enemies ;  he  had  prepared 
himself  to  die,  and  faced  his  savage  persecutors  with  the  com- 
posure of  intrepid  resignation. 

The  feelings  of  his  companions  in  misfortune  may  be  better 


HARPE'S   HEAD.  171 

imagined  than  described.  The  unhappy  Virginia,  though  her 
high  spirit  enabled  her  to  display  a  show  of  resignation,  felt 
herself  bowed  down  by  this  unexpected  calamity.  The  calm 
fortitude  of  her  brave  relative,  while  it  won  her  admiration 
and  stimulated  her  courage,  made  her  heart  bleed  for  the 
sufferings  of  one  so  worthy  of  a  nobler  fate.  Mr.  Lee  had 
ceased  to  entertain  any  fears  for  his  own  safety,  but  his  love 
for  Virginia,  and  his  native  goodness  of  heart,  induced  him  to 
sympathise  deeply  with  his  fellow-sufferers ;  while  Hark,  who 
had  withdrawn  himself  from  observation  as  much  as  possible, 
was  lying  on  the  ground,  coiled  up,  gnawing  a  bone  that  had 
been  thrown  to  him,  and  hiding  another  which  he  had  stolen, 
casting  stealthy  and  watchful  glances  around  him  all  the  while, 
as  if  in  constant  dread  of  harm,  but  lying  so  motionless  that 
his  eye  alone  afforded  the  slightest  indication  of  his  appre- 
hension. 

At  length  the  shades  of  night  closed  in,  and  the  warriors 
prepared  for  repose.  Colonel  Hendrickson  remained  tied  to 
the  tree  ;  Miss  Pendleton  sat  not  far  from  him  on  the  ground, 
but  no  intention  was  shown  of  offering  her  any  thing  to  lie 
upon,  or  any  covering  to  protect  her  from  the  night  air.  Lee 
was  more  favoured,  for,  as  the  Indians  happened  to  have 
several  blankets  among  the  plunder  recently  taken,  one  of 
these  was  thrown  to  him.  Our  friend  George  immediately 
threw  his  blanket  over  the  shoulders  of  Virginia,  and  obliging 
Hark  to  resign  a  similar  present  that  had  been  made  to  him, 
was  enabled  effectually  to  protect  the  young  lady  from  the 
cold.  The  Indians  interposed  no  objection  to  these  arrange- 
ments ;  though  they  look  upon  acts  of  gallantry  with  sov- 
ereign contempt,  they  know  how  to  estimate  a  humane 
action,  and  thought  none  the  less  of  George  Lee  for  this 
sacrifice  of  his  own  comfort  in  favour  of  a  woman  of  his 
tribe. 

Silence  reigned  throughout  the  camp.  Not  a  sound  was 
heard  but  the  footsteps  of  the  armed  sentinels,  who  moved 


172  LEGENDS    OF    THE   WEST. 

incessantly  about,  watching  the  prisoners  with  jealous  eye, 
and  listening  with  intense  eagerness  to  catch  the  most  distant 
sound  which  might  announce  the  approach  of  an  enemy.  .  As 
they  glided  slowly  in  the  shade  of  night,  rendered  still  deeper 
by  the  thick  shadows  of  the  overhanging  forest,  and  but 
slightly  relieved  by  the  faint  glow  of  an  expiring  fire,  they 
seemed  more  like  spectres  than  human  beings.  Colonel  Hen- 
drickson  remained  in  a  standing  posture,  bound  securely  and 
painfully  to  a  great  tree  which  was  probably  destined  to  be 
his  place  of  execution.  He  knew  that  the  Indians  more  fre- 
quently carry  to  their  villages  the  prisoners  destined  to  death 
by  torture,  in  order  that  the  women,  the  children,  and  the 
whole  tribe  may  participate  in  the  horrid  entertainment  and 
derive  instruction  in  the  dreadful  rites  of  cruelty.  A  con- 
formity with  that  custom  might  procure  him  a  reprieve  for  a 
few  days,  though  it  would  enhance  the  tortures  that  inevitably 
awaited  him ;  while  a  more  speedy  death  on  the  spot  they 
then  occupied  would  cut  off  all  hope  of  rescue.  Occupied 
with  such  reflections,  it  was  impossible  to  sleep ;  but  though 
denied  repose,  he  was  not  without  consolation.  Colonel  Ilen- 
drickson  was  a  Christian ;  and  in  this  trying  hour,  when 
enduring  torture  and  anticipating  a  lingering  and  excruciating 
death,  he  submitted  with  the  most  perfect  composure  to  the 
will  of  the  great  Disposer  of  all  events.  He  prayed  silently 
but  with  fervour  and  sincerity,  in  the  full  belief  that  he  was 
heard,  and  that  his  was  "  the  fervent  effectual  prayer  of  the 
righteous,"  which  availeth  much  to  the  humble  petitioner. 
His  devotional  feelings  became  quickened  and  elevated  by 
this  exercise,  until  at  last  the  overflowings  of  his  heart  burst 
from  his  lips  in  audible  and  eloquent  language. 

Virginia,  who  dozed,  but  did  not  sleep,  raised  her  head 
when  these  solemn  accents  struck  her  ear.  The  embers  of  a 
nearly  extinguished  fire  threw  a  faint  glare  over  the  figure  of 
Colonel  Hendrickson  and  rendered  his  features  distinctly 
visible,  while  an  impenetrable  veil  of  darkness  hung  around. 


HARPE'S   HEAD.  173 

The  forms  of  the  Indian  warriors  could  be  barely  distinguished 
as  they  reposed  on  the  ground  and  raised  their  heads  at  this 
unexpected  interruption.  Their  dim  outlines  only  could  be 
faintly  traced  in  the  uncertain  light,  except  where  here  and 
there  a  scattered  ray  fell  upon  the  harsh  visage  of  a  savage 
warrior,  and  for  a  moment  lighted  up  the  ferocious  lineaments. 
The  only  object  upon  which  the  expiring  blaze  threw  its 
beams  directly  was  the  victim  prisoner,  whose  person  re- 
sembled the  prominent  figure  in  a  gloomy  and  deeply  shaded 
picture.  His  appearance  was  strikingly  sublime.  His  large 
frame,  placed  thus  in  bold-  relief,  and  dimly  illuminated,  as- 
sumed gigantic  dimensions  to  the  fancy  of  the  beholder.  His 
face  was  serene  and  tranquil,  his  full,  bold  eye  meekly  raised 
towards  heaven.  Neither  fear  nor  resentment  marked  his 
features;  all  was  hope,  confidence,  and  calm  self-possession. 
His  voice  was  full  and  manly ;  his  enunciation  deliberate, 
though  impassioned  ;  his  language,  the  bold,  the  beautiful,  the 
affecting  phraseology  of  the  holy  scriptures.  Even  the  eye 
of  the  savage  was  attracted  by  this  picturesque  and  striking 
spectacle  exhibited  in  the  lone  wilderness  and  at  the  midnight 
hour,  and  all  gazed  upon  it  in  wonder  and  in  silence.  They 
knew  their  prisoner  to  be  a  distinguished  warrior,  before 
whose  arm  some  of  the  most  renowned  of  their  tribe  had 
fallen ;  and  when  they  heard  his  solemn  voice,  beheld  his  dig- 
nified composure,  and  saw  him  in  the  act  of  holding  converse 
with  the  Master  of  life,  under  circumstances  so  calculated  to 
impress  the  imagination,  they  regarded  him  as  a  being  under 
supernatural  protection,  and  were  filled  with  awe.  And 
although  they  would  have  felt  a  dread  in  approaching  him  at 
that  moment,  they  were  the  more  determined  to  rid  them- 
selves as  soon  as  possible  of  so  hated  and  so  powerful  a  foe. 

Gradually  the  fire  became  extinguished,  a  thick  cloud 
gathered  over  the  camp,  and  total  darkness  shrouded  the  spot. 
The  voice  of  the  prisoner  ceased,  the  warriors  sunk  again  to 
their  slumbers,  and  all  was  silent.  The  sentinels  renewed 


174  LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 

their  vigilance,  and  as  their  eyesight  could  now  avail  nothing, 
other  precautions  were  used  to  prevent  any  attempt  to  escape 
on  the  part  of  the  prisoners.  It  was  near  daybreak,  when 
Colonel  Hendrickson  felt  a  hand  passing  slowly  from  his  feet 
upward  along  his  person — and  then  another  hand  which  evi- 
dently grasped  a  knife.  He  knew  that  almost  every  Indian 
had  some  individual  quarrel  to  avenge  upon  the  white  men, 
which  he  broods  over  in  secret  until  a -favourable  opportunity 
enables  him  to  satiate  his  appetite  for  vengeance ;  and  he 
supposed  that  some  warrior  who  had  lost  a  relative  in  battle, 
was  now  about  to  take  that  revenge  which  is  so  grateful  to 
their  lust  of  blood.  Brave  as  he  was,  a  chill  crept  over  him, 
and  the  blood  almost  ceased  to  flow  in  his  veins  as  he  felt  the 
hand  of  the  murderer  cautiously  seeking  out,  as  he  supposed, 
the  vital  spot,  into  which  he  might  plunge  his  weapon  with 
the  certainty  of  reaching  the  life  of  his  victim.  The  point  of 
the  knife  was  pressed  to  his  back,  and  he  expected  to  feel  the 
steel  passing  through  from  that  direction,  when  the  cord  that 
bound  his  hands  was  suddenly  cut,  and  in  a  moment  he  stood 
free  from  his  bonds.  His  unknown  friend  glided  away  with 
a  step  as  noiseless  as  that  with  which  he  had  approached  ;  and 
the  released  prisoner  had  now  to  exert  his  own  ingenuity  in 
effecting  his  escape. 

His  determination  was  soon  made.  To  attempt  to  release 
his  companions  would  endanger  all  their  lives ;  and  should 
he  succeed  in  escaping  with  them  from  the  camp,  it  was 
next  to  impossible  that  such  a  party  could  elude  the  pursuit 
of  a  large  number  of  skilful  warriors,  who  would  follow  them 
at  the  break  of  day,  which  could  be  little  more  than  an  hour 
distant.  But  he  was  himself  a  woodsman  ;  hardy,  cunning, 
and  swift  of  foot :  with  a  start  of  an  hour,  he  believed  he 
could  outstrip  the  fleetest  of  the  savage  warriors,  and  bring  a 
rescue  to  his  friends,  whose  lives  were  probably  not  in  imme- 
diate danger.  He  stole  silently  from  the  camp,  passed  the 
sentinels,  and  in  a  few  minutes  was  rapidly  making  his  way 


HABPE'S   HEAD.  175 

through  the  forest,  with  unerring  skill,  towards  the  waters  of 
the  Ohio. 

Great  was  the  astonishment  and  bitter  the  imprecations 
of  the  savages,  when  they  discovered,  at  the  first  dawn  of 
day,  the  escape  of  their  prisoner.  They  were  alnrost  frantic 
with  disappointment  and  fury,  and  were  ready  to  sacrifice 
their  remaining  prisoners  to  their  rage.  Suspicion  very 
naturally  fell  upon  them  as  having  been  instrumental  in  the 
escape  of  Colonel  Hendrickson  ;  but  after  a  close  examination 
it  did  not  appear  that  Mr.  Lee  or  Miss  Pendleton  had  moved. 
At  length  a  track,  different  from  that  of  an  Indian,  was  dis- 
covered near  the  tree  to  which  the  victim  had  been  tied,  and 
a  yell  of  rage  was  uttered  by  the  whole  gang.  It  was  the 
track  of  Hark  Short,  the  snake-killer,  who,  it  was  now  per- 
ceived, was  also  missing. 


176  LEGENDS    OF    THE    WEST. 


CHAPTEE    XX. 

NO  sooner  were  these  discoveries  made,  than  the  greater 
portion  of  the  warriors  set  out  in  immediate  pursuit  of  the 
fugitives,  while  a  few  remained  to  guard  the  prisoners.  Mr. 
Lee  and  Miss  Pendleton  were  now  seated  near  each  other, 
and  for  the  first  time  had  the  opportunity  of  conversing  to- 
gether; and  the  latter  addressing  her  former  playmate  with 
the  frankness  due  to  so  old  an  acquaintance,  expressed  her 
regret  for  his  misfortune,  while  she  could  not  help  congratula- 
ting herself  on  having  a  friend  near  her  at  so  trying  a  period. 

"Ah,  cousin  Virginia!"  exclaimed  George,  "  how  willingly 
would  I  bear  captivity,  or  even  death,  to  do  you  a  service  !" 

This  speech  savoured  too  much  of  gallantry  for  the  time 
and  place,  and  Miss  Pendleton  looked  very  grave. 

"  Dear  Virginia,"  continued  George,  "  don't  be  cast  down ; 
they  will  not  have  the  heart  to  do  you  any  harm.  I  have 
been  a  brother  to  you  all  my  life — you  have  been  kinder  to 
me,  and  dearer  to  me,  than  a  sister — and  they  shall  not  sepa- 
rate us,  while  I  have  a  drop  of  blood  in  my  veins." 

"  Thank  you,  cousin  George,"  was  all  that  Virginia  could 
reply,  while  the  tears  started  from  her  eyes.  This  touching 
proof  of  affection  went  to  her  heart,  and  her  noble  nature 
enabled  her  to  comprehend  the  full  extent  of  the  sacrifice  that 
her  kind-hearted  companion  was  willing  to  make  for  her. 
Had  that  affection  flowed  only  from  the  friendship  of  the 
playmate  of  her  early  years,  it  would  have  been  most  grate- 


HARPE'S  HEAD.  177 

ful  to  her  feelings  ;  but  sensible  as  she  was  that  it  resulted 
from  a  hopeless  passion,  which  she  could  not  encourage  with- 
out insincerity,  nor  without  cherishing  hopes  which  she  felt 
could  never  be  realized,  it  distressed  and  pained  her.  She 
endeavoured  to  change  the  subject,  but  the  single-hearted 
Geoi-ge  always  came  back  to  the  same  point,  and  continually 
exclaimed.  "  Poor  Virginia!"  "  Dear  cousin  Virginia  !"  "To 
think  that  you,  you,  should  be  here,  a  prisoner  among  sav- 
ages !" 

At  length  a  new  thought  seemed  to  strike  him  ;  and  start- 
ing up  suddenly,  he  beckoned  the  Indian  to  him,  who  seemed 
to  have  been  the  chief  person  in  the  party  by  which  be  was 
taken.  This  person  had  seemed  to  claim  George  as  his  own 
prisoner,  and  had  treated  him  with  a  show  of  kindness.  To 
him  Mr.  Lee  now  offered  to  give  any  ransom  which  might  be 
demanded,  for  the  liberty  of  Miss  Pendleton,  assuring  the 
Indian  of  his  ability  to  comply  with  any  contract  which  he 
might  make.  The  Indian,  who  spoke  a  little  broken  English, 
readily  understood  the  proposition,  and  listened  to  it  with 
interest. 

"  Hugh  !"  said  he,  "  how  much  ?" 

George,  who  was  no  great  hand  at  making  a  bargain,  and 
was  besides  too  much  in  love  to  think  of  standing  upon  trifles, 
replied  eagerly  that  he  would  give  all  he  was  worth  for  her 
liberation. 

"  Velly  good  !"  replied  the  Indian,  perfectly  comprehend- 
ing the  offer,  "  how  much — how  much  you  got  1" 

George  told  him  that  he  owned  a  thousand  acres  of  land  ; 
and  the  Indian  shook  his  head,  and,  swinging  his  arms  with  a 
lordly  contempt,  as  he  pointed  to  the  vast  forest  around 
them,  gave  the  Virginian  to  -  understand  that  he  had  land 
enough. 

The  Indian  then  inquired  if  he  had  any  "  whiskee." 

George  had  no  whiskey,  though  his  cellar  at  home  con- 
tained some  very  choice  liquors ;   but  said  he  had  money 
8* 


178  LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 

enough  buy  to  boat-loads  of  it,  and  promised  to  give  his  captor 
much  as  would  keep  the  whole  tribe  drunk  for  a  month. 

"Hugh!  velly  good!"  exclaimed  the  delighted  Indian, 
•who  then  inquired  for  tobacco. 

"  Plenty,  plenty,  my  dear  fellow,"  cried  George,  who 
thought  he  was  making  a  fine  bargain,  "  I  raise  ever  so  much 
on  my  own  plantation  every  year.  You  shall  have  as  much 
as  you  can  use  all  your  life  !" 

"How  much  hosl"  inquired  the  warrior. 

"Horses!  no  man  in  Virginia  has  more  horses  or  finer 
ones.  I  have  more  than  forty  on  my  plantation  now,  as  fine 
blooded  animals  as  ever  you  saw." 

"  How  much  ?"  inquired  the  Indian,  who  had  caught  the 
meaning  sufficiently  to  see  that  a  large  number  was  intended 
to  be  expressed,  but  without  understanding  exactly  bow- 
many. 

George  was  at  a  loss  how  to  explain,  until  the  Indian 
directed  him  to  hold  up  his  fingers.  He  then  held  up  both 
hands  to  express  ten.  The  Indian  nodded.  Lee  repeated 
the  operation,  and  the  Indian  nodded  with  still  greater  satis- 
faction ;  and  this  dumb  show  was  carried  on  until  Mr.  Lee 
had  signified  that  he  was  willing  to  give  forty  horses,  hi 
addition  to  the  whiskey  and  tobacco  before  stipulated,  for 
the  ransom  of  the  lady  of  his  heart. 

Avarice  is  a  passion  which  exists  in  some  form  in  every 
state  of  society ;  the  Indian  can  make  all  the  other  feelings 
and  propensities  of  his  nature  bend  to  his  interest  as  well  as 
the  most  civilized  inhabitant  of  a  commercial  city.  The 
wealth  of  George  Lee  had  its  usual  effect  upon  his  captor. 
Naturally  distrustful,  he  had  some  misgivings  as  to  the  sin- 
cerity of  so  generous  an  offer,  and  he' could  hardly  conceive 
how  one  man  could  be  so  rich  as  to  possess  so  many  horses 
and  such  a  quantity  of  whiskey  and  tobacco ;  but  then  Lee 
had  an  ingenuous  countenance  and  a  rather  imposing  person 
and  appearance,  and,  upon  the  whole,  the  Indian  felt  disposed 


HARPE'S   HEAD.  179 

to  credit  his  word.  Inasmuch,  however,  as  he  had  proffered 
freely  thus  far,  the  crafty  savage  determined  to  try  how  far 
he  might  extort  from  the  liberality  of  his  captive ;  and  he 
again  inquired  if  Mr.  Lee  had  nothing  more  to  offer. 

George'  considered  and  muttered  aside,  "  Yes,  I  have  a 
great  gang  of  negroes — but  I  can't  give  them  to  be  roasted 
and  eaten  by  the  savages — no,  plague  on  it,  I  couldn't  have 
the  heart  to  send  my  black  people  here" — and  he  prudently 
replied  that  he  had  nothing  more  to  give. 

The  warrior  shook  his  head  and  intimated  that  unless 
more  was  offered  he  should  marry  the  lady  himself. 

"  Heaven  forbid!"  exclaimed  the  terrified  lover,  "take  all 
I  have, — take  my  farm !  take  my  black  people !  I  have  a 
hundred  likely  negroes ;  you  shall  have  them  all !" 

"  Nigger !"  said  the  Indian,  "  velly  good — help  squaw  to 
make  corn — how  much  nigger  ?" 

George  had  now  to  go  through  the  tedious  process  of 
counting  his  ringers,  frequently  stopping,  in  hopes  that  the 
cupidity  of  the  savage  would  be  satisfied  without  taking  all ; 
but  the  latter  possessed  that  faculty  of  the  wily  gambler  or 
the  experienced  merchant,  which  enables  its  possessor  to 
judge  from  the  countenance  of  the  subject  under  operation 
whether  he  is  still  able  to  bear  a  little  more  depletion,  and 
continued  to  shake  his  head  until  George  declared  that  the 
black  people  were  all  counted.  He  then  coolly  remarked 
that  he  should  keep  the  woman  himself. 

George  flew  into  a  rage,  and  then  burst  into  tears — "  You 
unconscionable  rascal !"  he  cried,  "  will  nothing  satisfy  you  ? 
I  offer  you  all  I  have  in  the  world  for  the  liberty  of  this  lady. 
I  am  willing,  besides,  to  stay  and  serve  you  myself  all  my 
life.  Set  her  free,  you  avaricious  dog,  and  I  will  stay  and  be 
overseer  for  you  among  my  own  negroes !" 

"  The  white  man  has  a  forked  tongue,"  replied  the  warrior 
calmly  :  "  when  he  offered  horses,  whiskey,  and  tobacco  for 
his  squaw.  I  thought  he  was  honest.  White  men  are  fools  j 


180  LEGENDSOFTHEWEST. 

they  will  give  all  they  have  for  a  palefaced  woman.  But 
when  the  white  man  offers  to  sell  himself  to  be  a  servant  to 
the  Indian  women,  and  to  send  his  squaw  back  to  the  thirteen 
fires,  I  know  that  he  speaks  lies." 

So  saying,  he  walked  off.  But  the  overture  had  a  good 
effect.  The  idea  of  procuring  a  valuable  ransom  for  Miss 
Pendleton  determined  the  Indians  to  treat  her  with  kindness. 
A  lodge  of  mats  was  prepared  for  her,  and  she  soon  found 
herself  placed  in  a  situation  of  comparative  comfort.  She 
was  not  an  inattentive  listener  to  the  preceding  conversation. 
The  solicitude  and  generosity  of  Lee  affected  her  deeply. 
But  she  was  generous  herself,  and  noble  natures  know  how  to 
receive  as  well  as  to  confer  obligations.  Conscious  that  her 
warm-hearted  friend  was  offering  no  more  than  she  would 
have  freely  given  to  redeem  him  or  any  other  human  being 
from  so  dreadful  a  fate,  she  did  not  attempt  to  interfere  until 
he  proposed  to  become  a  slave  himself.  Then  she  exclaimed, 
"  No  !  not  so — George — cousin  George  Lee — dear  George — " 
but  he  heard  her  not,  and  in  the  vehemence  of  his  exertions 
in  her  behalf  he  lost  perhaps  the  tenderest  words  that  she 
had  ever  addressed  to  him  since  the  days  of  their  childhood. 

But  however  Miss  Pendleton's  heart  might  have  been 
awakened  to  sensations  of  gratitude,  she  felt  that  this  was  not 
the  time  nor  place  to  indulge  them  ;  and  in  the  exhausted 
state  of  her  mind  and  body  she  readily  and  hastily  accepted 
the  shelter  prepared  for  her,  and  throwing  herself,  stupefied 
with  sufferings  of  various  kind,  upon  a  mat,  endeavoured  to 
to  find  repose.  She  had  sunk  into  a  feverish  slumber,  when 
she  was  awaked  by  the  noise  of  loud  and  triumphant  shouting. 
The  camp  was  again  crowded  with  Indian  warriors  ;  the  party 
which  had  gone  in  pursuit  of  the  fugitives  was  returned ;  they 
had  overtaken  Colonel  Hendrickson,  and  that  unfortunate 
gentleman  was  again  a  prisoner.  His  fate  was  now  sealed. 
The  determination  which  had  originally  been  formed  of  carry- 
ing him  to  the  village  of  the  captors  to  be  publicly  sacrificed 


HARPE'S   HEAD.  181 

was  now  abandoned  ;  and  the  savages  determined  to  gratify 
their  eager  thirst  for  his  blood  by  torturing  him  at  the  stake 
without  further  delay.  He  was  again  bound,  and  prepara-^ 
tions  were  made  for  the  awful  solemnity.  Some  of  the 
savages  employed  themselves  in  painting  their  faces  and 
bodies,  to  render  them  the  more  terrific ;  others  were  whetting 
the  edges  of  their  tomahawks  and  knives ;  and  some  were 
endeavouring  to  excite  their  own  passions  and  those  of  their 
companions  to  the  utmost  pitch  of  fury  by  hideous  yelling, 
by  violent  gesticulations,  and  by  pouring  out  bitter  execra- 
tions upon  their  defenceless  prisoner. 

"  I  saw  you  in  the  dark  and  blood  ground,"  cried  one, 
drawing  the  back  of  his  knife,  in  mockery,  across  the  throat  of 
the  victim — "  You  killed  my  brother  there,  and  I  will  have 
your  heart's  blood  !" 

"  You  slew  my  son,"  shrieked  a  hoary-headed  savage ; 
"  his  bones  lie  unburied  in  the  villages  of  the  white  men,  his 
scalp  his  hanging  over  the  door  of  your  wigwam — but  his 
spirit  shall  rejoice  in  the  agonies  of  your  death  !" 

"  You  led  the  warriors  of  your  tribe  to  battle,"  exclaimed 
a  young  warrior,  as  he  flourished  his  tomahawk  over  the  head 
of  the  veteran  pioneer,  "when  the  long 'knives  met  the  red 
men  on  the  banks  of  the  big  river — my  father  fell  there — 
your  foot  was  on  his  neck — I  will  trample  on  your  mangled 
body.  The  wolf  shall  feed  upon  your  flesh — the  bird  of 
night  shall  flap  her  wings  over  your  carcase,  and  the  serpent 
shall  crawl  about  your  bones  !" 

"  Revenge  is  sweet !"  shouted  one. 

"  Revenge  !  revenge !"  echoed  many  voices. 

"  It  is  good  and  pleasing  to  the  spirit  of  the  warrior  to 
witness  the  death-pang  of  the  enemy  he  hates !"  exclaimed 
another  human  monster. 

"  The  white  man  is  our  enemy  !" 

"  He  is  the  serpent  that  stung  our  fathers  !" 

"  He  is  the  prowling  fox  that  stole  away  our  game  !" 


182  LEGENDS    OF    THE    WEST. 

"  He  is  the  hurricane  that  scattered  our  wigwams  and  de- 
stroyed our  corn-fields !" 

"  He  drove  us  from  our  hunting-grounds,  and  trampled  in 
scorn  upon  the  bones  of  our  fathers  !" 

"  His  knife  has  drunk  the  blood  of  the  red  man ;  the  blood 
of  our  women  and  children  is  on  his  hands  !" 

"  Let  him  perish  in  torture  !" 

"  Let  him  be  slowly  consumed  by  fire  !" 

"  The  great  Spirit  will  laugh,  when  he  sees  the  white  man 
writhing  in  agony !" 

"  The  spirits  of  our  fathers  will  rejoice — they  will  shout 
and  clap  their  hands  in  the  world  of  shades,  when  they  hear 
the  shrieks  of  the  white  warrior." 

These  exclamations  were  uttered  severally  by  different 
individuals  in  the  Indian  tongue,  with  which  Colonel  Hen- 
drickson  was  acquainted,  in  the  emphatic  tones  of  savage  de- 
clamation, and  with  that  earnestness  of  gesticulation  which 
renders  their  eloquence  so  impressive.  There  were  others 
who  addressed  the  victim  in  coarser  language,  loading  him 
with  opprobrious  epithets,  and  pouring  out  the  bitterness  of 
their  malignant  hearts  in  copious  streams  of  vulgar  invec- 
tive. And  now  the  wood  was  piled  about  the  victim  ;  torches 
were  lighted  and  blazing  brands  snatched  from  the  fire,  and 
the  hellish  crew,  flourishing  them  around  their  heads,  danced 
round  the  prisoner  with  that  malignant  joy  with  which  devils 
and  damned  spirits  may  be  supposed  to  exult  in  the  agonies 
of  a  fallen  soul. 

At  length  a  chief  stepped  forward  and  commanded  silence. 
"  White  man,"  said  he,  "  are  you  ready  to  die  f 

"  I  am !"  replied  the  brave  Kentuckian,  in  a  calm  tone  : 
"The  white  man's  God  has  whispered  peace  to  my  soul." 

"  Can  the  God  of  the  white  man  save  you  from  torture  ? 
Can  he  prevent  you  from  feeling  pain  when  your  flesh  shall 
be  torn,  when  your  limbs  shall  be  separated,  one  by  one, 


HARPE'S  HEAD.  183 

from  your  body,  and  the  slow  flames  shall  scorch,  without 
consuming,  your  miserable  carcase  1" 

"•  My  God  is  a  merciful  God,"  replied  the  undaunted  pio- 
neer ;  "  his  ear  is  ever  open  to  the  prayers  of  those  who  put 
their  trust  in  him.  He  has  filled  my  heart  with  courage.  I 
have  no  fear  of  death — blessed  for  ever  be  the  Lord  God  of 
Israel!"  Then  raising  his  eyes  upward,  he  exclaimed,  with 
devout  fervour,  "  Make  haste,  O  God,  to  deliver  me ;  make 
haste  to  help  me,  O  Lord.  Let  them  be  ashamed  and  con- 
founded that  seek  after  my  soul :  let  them  be  turned  back- 
ward, and  put  to  confusion,  that  desire  my  heart!" 

Virginia,  who  had  thus  far  endeavoured  to  restrain  her  feel- 
ings, now  rushed  forward,  and  gliding  rapidly  through  the 
circle  of  warriors,  threw  herself  upon  her  uncle's  bosom, 
exclaiming  in  frantic  accents,  "  Let  us  die  together !"  while 
George  Lee,  who  had -gazed  on  the  preceding  scene  with  stu- 
pid wonder,  sought  to  follow  her,  determined  to  share  her 
fate.  Being  prevented,  he  swore  that  it  was  "the  most  infa- 
mous transaction  he  had  ever  witnessed,  and  that  if  he  got 
back  to  old  Virginia,  he  would  have  satisfaction,  at  the  risk 
of  his  life." 

And  now  the  whole  fury  of  the  savage  band  was  ready  to 
be  poured  upon  their  devoted  but  heroic  prisoner,  when  the 
report  of  a  single  rifle  rang  through  the  woods,  and  the  prin- 
cipal chief,  who  stood  alone,  received  a  death- wound.  A  vol- 
ley instantly  followed,  and  every  ball  being  aimed  by  a  skil- 
ful hand  at  a  particular  object,  brought  one  of  the  Indian 
warriors  to  the  ground ;  in  another  minute,  a  band  of  hardy 
backwoodsmen,  headed  by  Fennirnore  and  Colburn,  rushed 
into  the  camp.  Before  the  Indians  had  time  to  array  them- 
selves for  battle,  the  bonds  of  Colonel  Hendrickson  were  cut, 
and  Fennimore  had -passed  one  arm  round  Miss  Pendleton, 
while  he  prepared  to  defend  her  with  the  other. 

The  assailants  rushed  upon  the  savage  band,  and  hewed 
them  down  with  desperate  valour.  Colonel  Hendrickson 


184  LEGENDS    OFTHE    WEST. 

snatched  up  a  war-club,  and  plunged  into  the  thickest  of  the 
fight.  Nor  was  George  Lee  backward ;  he  first  sought  Vir- 
ginia, and  finding  her  supported  by  the  young  soldier,  he 
caught  up  a  weapon,  and  mingled  in  the  battle  with  more 
hearty  good-will  than  he  had  for  some  days  shown  for  any 
operation  in  which  he  was  called  upon  to  join,  except  that 
of  eating.  The  valour  and  skill  of  the  backwoodsmen  soon 
prevailed.  It  was  impossible  to  withstand  their  fury.  Colo- 
nel Hendrickson  seemed  a  new  man  ;  he  shouted  until  the 
woods  resounded  with  his  battle-cry,  and  his  friends,  animated 
by  the  sound  of  his  voice,  returned  the  yell,  and  pressed  on 
with  determined  vigour.  They  literally  crfed  aloud  and 
spared  not.  The  Indians  sounded  their  terrific  war-whoop ; 
but  that  cry,  so  dreadful  to  the  white  man,  so  full  of  thrilling 
horror  to  the  hearts  of  the  borderers  who  have  heard  it  in  the 
lone  hour  of  night,  breaking  in  upon  the  repose  of  the  wilder- 
ness, and  ringing  the  death-knell  of  the  mother  and  the  in- 
fant, was  drowned  in  the  louder  shouts  of  the  Kentucky 
warriors. 

The  first  fire  had  reduced  the  savages  to  a  number  less 
than  that  of  the  assailants,  and  they  now  stood  opposed  to 
men  who  were  their  superiors  in  bodily  strength,  their  equals 
in  courage  and  in  all  the  arts  of  border  warfare.  Thus  over- 
matched, they  maintained  the  fight  for  but  a  little  while, 
when  they  began  to  give  back ;  the  whites  still  pressed  on, 
cutting  them  down  with  the  most  revengeful  hostility  at 
every  step.  The  battle  soon  became  a  massacre,  for  the 
Kentuckians  not  having  lost  a  single  man,  the  disparity  of 
force  was  becoming  greater  every  moment ;  and  those  who 
had  so  often  witnessed  the  scenes  of  savage  barbarity,  or 
mourned  over  the  affecting  consequences  of  that  unsparing 
warfare,  now  dealt  their  blows  with  unrelenting  animosity. 

So  long  as  the  battle  raged  round  the  spot  where  Miss 
Pendleton  stood,  Fennimore  joined  in  it,  supporting  her  with 
his  arm.  and  shielding  her  with  his  body,  while  he  performed 


HARPE'S  HEAD.  185 

a  soldier's  duty  with  his  sword.  But  when  the  Indians  began 
to  give  way  he  withdrew  from  the  fight,  and  gave  his  whole 
attention  to  his  fair  charge.  Not  to  George  Lee  ;  animated 
with  a  newly-awakened  fury,  smeared  with  blood,  and  shout- 
ing like  a  madman,  he  rushed  forward  among  the  foremost, 
beating  down  the  stoutest  warriors  with  his  war-club,  and 
taking  full  satisfaction  for  all  the  fright,  the  sufferings,  and 
the  hunger  he  had  endured.  While  thus  engaged  he  saw  the 
Indian  who  had  captured  him  and  had  saved  his  life  struck 
down  by  a  sturdy  backwoodsman,  who  was  aiming  the  death- 
blow at  his  prostrate  foe. 

"  Don't  strike !"  cried  George,  "  that's  a  good  fellow-^— he 
treated  me  well " 

But  he  spoke  to  deaf  ears ;  the  tomahawk  fell,  and  the 
only  Indian  in  whom  he  had  seen  any  thing  to  conciliate  his 
good-will  slept  with  the  mangled  dead. 

"  Bless  me,"  cried  George,  "  what  a  bloody  business ! 
They  are  all  alike — Indians  and  Kentuckians — a  blood-thirsty 
set." 

Having  uttered  this  moral  reflection  he  drew  his  gory 
hand  across  his  brow  to  wipe  off  the  big  drops  of  perspiration. 
The  battle  swept  on  past  him  like  a  heavy  storm  which  no 
human  hand  can  stay,  and  his  momentary  pause  gave  him 
time  to  look  round.  The  ground  was  strewed  with  the  dead 
and  dying;  wherever  he  turned  his  eye  it  fell  on  distorted 
features  and  gaping  wounds,  from  which  the  crimson  current 
still  flowed.  He  stepped  forward  and  the  blood  gurgled 
under  his  footstep.  Groans  and  convulsive  breathings  fell 
upon  his  ear.  His  heart  sickened  at  the  scene  of  horror,  and 
he  slowly  retraced  his  steps  to  the  camp-fire  of  the  vanquished 
Indians. 

Colonel  Hendrickson  and  young  Colburn,  who  fought  side 
by  side  through  the  whole  contest,  were  the  last  to  relinquish 
the  pursuit.  The  veteran  seemed  to  be  animated  with  a 
supernatural  strength  .and  activity,  and  to  be  actuated  by  an 


186  LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 

inhuman  ferocity.  Wherever  his  blow  fell  it  crushed  ;  but 
his  fury  was  unabated.  Blood  seemed  to  whet  his  appetite 
for  blood.  As  he  struck  down  the  last  enemy  within  his 
reach  he  halted,  and  his  eye  seemed  to  gloat  upon  the  victims 
of  his  revenge.  His  cheek  was  flushed,  his  nostrils  distended, 
and  his  muscles  full  of  action — like  those  of  a  pawing 
war-horse.  In  a  moment  this  excitement  began  to  subside, 
and  he  exclaimed,  "  God  forgive  my  soul  the  sin  of  blood- 
guiltiness  !" 

Colburn  looked  at  him  with*  astonishment.  The  veteran 
turned  towards  him  arid  said,  "  Young  man,  I  have  this  hour 
shown  how  frail  are  our  best  intentions.  I  was  once  a  soldier 
of  some  note.  But  when  I  became  a  Christian,  and^felt  the 
obligation  to  love  all  men  and  forgive  my  enemies,  I  de- 
termined to  fight  no  more  except  in  defence  of  my  home  or 
country.  I  even  prayed  that  I  might  have  strength  to  forgive 
an  injury  which  had  rankled  in  my  bosom  for  years.  You 
were  too  young  to  remember  my  boy — my  only  son,  who 
was  butchered  in  my  presence  by  this  very  tribe.  Dearly 
did  I  revenge  his  death,  and  devoutly  did  I  afterwards  pray 
that  I  might  forgive  it.  For  years  have  I  disciplined  my 
feelings  so  severely  that  I  had  thought  the  last  spark  of  hatred 
was  extinguished,  and  that  my  last  days  would  glide  away  in 
charity  with  men,  in  peace  with  God.  When  I  stood  a 
prisoner  bound  to  the  stake,  and  expecting  a  miserable  death, 
1  endeavoured  to  subdue  every  vindictive  feeling.  I  prayed 
that  I  might  die  the  death  of  the  righteous,  and  felt  that  peace 
which  the  world  cannot  give  nor  take  away.  When  it 
pleased  God  to  cut  my  bands  asunder,  it  was  my  right  and 
my  duty  to  defend  the  life  which  He  spared,  and  the  friends 
who  were  dear  to  me.  But  no  sooner  did  I  raise  my  armed 
hand  than  all  my  former  feelings  of  vengeance  against  the 
race  who  had  slain  my  child  were  kindled  up.  Hatred,  long 
smothered,  broke  forth  with  implacable  fury,  and  I  tasted  the 
sweets  of  revenge.  It  was  a  bad,  a  wicked  feeling.  It  is  a 


HARPE'S   HEAD.  187 

dreadful,  an  unholy  passion.  Take  warning  from  me,  my 
young  friend  ;  never  let  the  passion  of  revenge  find  a  place  in 
your  bosom.  It  will  poison  your  best  enjoyments,  destroy 
your  noblest  feelings,  and  make  shipwreck  of  your  purest 
hopes.  God  preserve  you  from  hating  as  I  have  hated,  from 
suffering  as  I  have  suffered  !" 


188  LEGENDS    OF   THE  WEST. 


CHAPTER    XXI. 

QEVERAL  days  had  succeeded  the  termination  of  the 
^  adventure  described  in  our  last  chapter,  and  the  parties 
were  all  assembled  at  the  mansion  of  Colonel  Hendrickson. 
This  was  a  house  somewhat  larger  than  ordinary,  built  of 
hewn  logs  after  the  plain  but  comfortable  fashion  of  the 
country.  There  was  not  the  slightest  attempt  at  ornament, 
but  every  thing  was  substantial  and  neat ;  and  a  stranger 
might  see  at  a  glance  that  it  was  the  abode  of  hospitality  and 
abundance.  A  large  farm  lying  around  consisted  of  extensive 
fields  newly  cleared,  whose  deep  rich  soil  was  now  heavily 
loaded  with  luxuriant  crops  of  tobacco  and  corn.  A  large 
number  of  negroes,  decently  clothed,  cheerful  and  contented, 
were  engaged  in  the  various  labours  of  agriculture. 

The  Colonel's  family  consisted  of  himself,  his  wife,  and  an 
only  daughter,  a  beautiful  girl  of  eighteen,  who  combined  in 
her  person  and  manners  the  truly  feminine  gracefulness,  the 
easy  politeness,  the  cordiality  and  frankness,  so  remarkably 
characteristic  of  the  ladies  of  Kentucky,  who  unite,  with  sin- 
gular tact  and  elegance,  the  noble  independence  and  generous 
kindness  of  their  country  with  the  gentleness  and  delicacy 
appropriate  to  their  sex. 

This  young  lady  was  now  walking  arm  in  arm  with  Wil- 
liam Colburn  on  the  beautiful  lawn  in  the  front  of  the  house. 
Jt  was  one  of  those  fine  autumnal  days  which  are  thought  to 
be  peculiar  to  the  western  country,  when  the  atmosphere  is 


H  A  R  p  E  '  s   HEAD.  189 

mild  and  in  a  state  of  perfect  repose,  the  leaves  of  the  forest 
are  tinged  with  a  variety  of  rich  and  gorgeous  but  pensive 
hues,  and  every  natural  object  wears  the  sober  drapery  and 
the  serene  aspect  of  the  departing  year.  The  sun  shone 
brightly,  the  soft  warm  air  created  a  delightful  sense  of  lux- 
urious enjoyment  ;  and  the  young  couple  that  sauntered 
together,  conversing  in  expressive  glances  and  tones  of  con- 
fiding affection,  were  not  the  least  interesting  objects  in  the 
picturesque  landscape. 

Miss  Pendleton  sat  at  a  window  with  Mr.  George  Lee. 
Thfe  young  gentleman  was  as  much  in  love  as  ever,  and  as 
difficult  to  be  persuaded  that  it  was  not  altogether  possible 
and  proper  for  his  fair  relative  to  return  his  passion.  It  was 
beyond  the  power  of  language  and  the  art  of  logic  to  convince 
him  that  he  had  not  the  best  claim  to  her  affections.  He  was 
a  gentleman  of  good  family  and  had  an  ample  estate;  he  had 
been  her  companion  from  infancy,  and  had  loved  her  from  the 
first  dawn  of  reason.  These  arguments  he  now  urged  for 
the  hundredth  time,  with  all  the  eloquence  of  which  he 
was  master,  not  forgetting  to  insist  on  the  priority  of  his 
suit. 

"  Who  is  there,  cousin  Virginia,  who  has  loved  you  as 
long  as  I  have  ?  or  who  will  ever  love  you  half  as  much  ? 
When  we  were  children,  did  I  not  climb  the  tallest  trees  in 
the  woods  at  the  risk  of  my  neck,  to  gather  grapes  for  you, 
or  to  catch  young  squirrels  or  birds  for  you  to  play  with  ?" 

"  I  am  inclined  to  think,  cousin  George,  that  you  had  a 
natural  propensity  for  such  feats,  which  required  but  little 
stimulus  to  bring  it  into  action." 

"  There  it  is,  again !  I  have  been  trying  all  my  life  to 
convince  you  of  my  love  for  you — and  you  will  never  be- 
lieve it." 

"  Do  not  do  me  injustice ;  I  have  aiways  known  your  feel- 
ings — have  always  been  sincerely  grateful  for  your  kindness ; 
have  always  valued  and  prized  your  friendship — " 


190  LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 

"  Friendship !  there  it  is,  again — it  is  a  shame  to  call  such 
devoted  love  as  mine  by  the  cold  name  of  friendship.  I  love 
you  better  than  my  own  life ;  I  have  shown  that." 

"  You  have  indeed,"  replied  Virginia,  with  much  emotion, 
"  and  I  should  be  most  ungrateful  not  to  be  deeply  affected 
by  your  kindness,  by  an  affection  so  long  continued  and  dis- 
interested. But  it  is  painful,  Mr.  Lee — " 

"  Don't,  don't  call  me  Mr.  Lee.  You  know,  Virginia,  I 
can  never  stand  that.  Refuse  me,  if  you  will — but  don't  treat 
me  as  a  stranger." 

"  I  was  only  going  to  remark,  how  painful  it  is  to  see  you 
persevere  in  a  suit  which  1  have  never  encouraged — and  which 
I  have  so  often — so  very  often — declined.  I  feel  towards 
you,  cousin  George,  all  the  affection  of  a  relative;  if  you 
were  my  only  brother,  my  feelings  and  sentiments  in  regard 
to  you  could  hardly  be  different  from  what  they  are.  More 
than  this  we  cannot  be  to  each  other." 

"  There  it  is.  again — that  is  just  the  way  you  always  wind 
up.  I  can't  for  my  soul  understand  you.  Why,  if  you  love 
me  so  much,  will  not  you  marry  me  ?" 

Miss  Pendleton,  though  grieved,  and  even  shocked  at  the 
perseverance  of  her  generous  but  silly  lover,  could  not  repress 
a  melancholy  smile  as  she  replied,  "  Because  there  is  a  great 
difference,  George,  between  sisterly  affection  and  that  love 
which  is  necessary  to  happiness  in  marriage." 

"  Well,  I  cannot  for  my  life  see  that.  I  love  you  like  a 
brother — yet  I  wish  to  marry  you,  to  live  for  you,  to  die 
for  you,  to  do  any  thing  for  you  that  would  make  you 
happy." 

"  But  if  marrying  you  would  not  conduce  to  my  happiness, 
what  then  T 

"  Dear  Virginia,  you  could  not  help  being  happy.  I 
should  be  devoted  to  you.  I  have  a  large  fortune,  a  fine 
house,  plenty  of  servants,  and  every  thing  that  heart  could 
wish." 


HARPE'S   HEAD.  191 

"  Let  us  drop  the  subject,  Mr.  Lee,  now  and  for  ever." 

George  rose  and  walked  across  the  room. 

"  So  you  have  determined  not  to  marry  me  ?" 

"  I  have  always  told  you  so." 

"  Virginia,  it  is  not  for  myself  that  I  care.  It  is  for  your 
happiness  that  I  am  interested.  I  cannot  bear  to  leave  you 
here  in  this  cabin,  in  these  wild  woods,  and  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  those  dreadful  savages.  Say  you  will  go  back  to  the 
Old  Dominion,  live  with  my  mother,  and  be  my  sister ;  let 
me  divide  my  fortune  equally  with  you;  and  I  will  never 
again  ask  you  to  be  my  wife." 

She  was  deeply  affected.  She  had  always  known  that  this 
simple  young  man,  although  almost  an  idiot  in  intellect,  was 
generous  and  sincerely  attached  to  her.  She  had  seen  him 
forsake  an  affluent  home  and  pleasures  to  which  he  was  fatally 
addicted,  to  follow  her  to  the  wilderness.  She  had  been  the 
innocent  means  of  leading  him  into  captivity  and  suffering. 
There  he  had  shown  his  devotion  to  her  in  the  most  extrava- 
gant yet  touching  offers  of  self-sacrifice.  All  this  passed 
rapidly  through  her  mind  ;  and  his  last  offer  brought  tears  into 
her  eyes. 

"  No,  George,"  said  she,  rising  and  offering  her  hand,  which 
he  grasped  with  a  lover's  eagerness,  "I  cannot  accept  your 
offer,  nor  is  it  necessary — I  cannot  be  your  wife,  but  if  ever  I 
should  need  a  friend  or  a  brother  I  will  frankly  apply  to  you 
— if  ever  I  shall  be  destitute  of  a  home  or  a  protector,  most 
willingly  will  I  seek  them  under  your  mother's  roof."  So 
saying  she  left  the  room. 

While  this  scene  went  forward,  Colonel  Hendrickson  and 
Mr.  Fennimore  were  engaged  in  close  consultation  in  the  gar- 
den. Mr.  Fennimore,  after  communicating  the  facts  with 
which  the  reader  is  already  acquainted,  proceeded  as  fol- 
lows : — 

"  Major  Hey  ward  having  satisfied  me  that  my  mother  had 
no  legal  claim  upon  him,  added  that  he  had  already  made  his 


192  LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 

will,  by  which  he  had  bequeathed  his  whole  estate  to  Miss 
Pendleton,  who  had  been  brought  up  as  his  adopted  child, 
and  who,  having  been  reared  in  the  expectation  of  being  his 
'  sole  heiress,  could  not  now  be  disinherited  without  injustice. 
Nor  could  his  affection  for  her,  which  was  that  of  a  father, 
permit  him  to  make  any  disposition  of  his  fortune  to  the  pre- 
judice of  her  interest.  But  he  desired  to  be  reconciled  to  my 
mother,  and  spoke  of  making  some  provision  for  her. 

"  That  will,  you  are  aware,  has  been  lost.  I  am  the  heir 
at  law  of  my  uncle,  and  I  have  come  to  you,  as  the  legal 
guardian  of  Miss  Pendleton,  to  say  that  I  intend  to  fulfil 
strictly  his  intentions.  This  instrument  contains  a  formal  re- 
linquishment  and  transfer  to  her  of  all  my  right,  title,  and 
claim,  to  the  whole  of  my  deceased  uncle's  estate.  This  was 
one  of  the  objects  of  my  visit  here  ;  the  other  to  bring  to  jus- 
tice the  murderer  of  Major  Heyward,  who  I  am  satisfied  is 
Micajah  Harpe.  and  who,  with  the  assistance  of  our  friend  Mr. 
Colburn,  I  have  traced  to  this  neighbourhood." 

"That  paper,"  replied  the  Colonel,  "I  shall  not  accept 
without  consulting  Miss  Pendleton.  I  had  determined  to 
divide  my  own  property  equally  between  her  and  my  daugh- 
ter. I  shall  apprize  her  of  my  intention,  and  let  her  decide 
for  herself  on  your  offer." 

"  But  I  hope,  my  dear  sir,  that  you  will  advise  her  that  it 
is  her  duty  to  accept  that  which  of  right  belongs  to  her." 

"  If  my  advice  is  asked,"  said  Colonel  Hendrickson,  "  I 
will  give  such  as  I  think  it  becomes  my  niece  to  accept.  You 
are  the  proper  heir  to  your  uncle.  Had  he  left  all  his  prop- 
erty to  her,  he  would  have  done  wrong ;  and  I  shall  certainly 
not  advise  her  to  avail  herself  of  your  generosity." 


HARPE'S   HEAD.  193 

f*  -  '  '  *lfc 


^W     CHAPTER    XXII. 

A  HAPPY  company  was  assembled  that  evening  at  the 
mansion  of  Colonel  Hendrickson,  consisting  of  the  agree- 
able and  interesting  personages  mentioned  in  the  last  chapter, 
together  with  several  young  people  who  had  dropped  in  dur- 
ing the  afternoon,  and  who  were,  of  course,  expected  to  spend 
the  night.  For  in  this  region  of  generous  living  and  abun- 
dant hospitality,  a  visit  of  a  few  hours  is  a  thing  not  to  be 
thought  of;  the  fashion  of  making  calls,  which  furnishes  such 
pleasant  occupation  to  a  city  belle,  is  not  practised  ;  and  a 
young  lady  always  carries  with  her,  on  such  occasions,  a 
wardrobe  that  will  serve  for  at  least  a  week. 

Colonel  Hendrickson  was  comfortably  seated  in  his  arm- 
chair, by  the  side  of  an  immense  fire-place,  filled  with  one  of 
those  enormous  piles  of  wood  which  the  Kentuckians  build 
up.  in  the  hospitable  desire  of  giving  a  warm  reception  to 
their  friends  ;  while  the  door  was  judiciously  left  wide  open, 
to  admit  a  free  circulation  of  frosty  air.  The  apartment  was 
spacious,  and  the  plain  old-fashioned  furniture,  consisting  of  a 
few  articles,  each  of  which  was  particularly  large  and  incon- 
venient, was  such  as  may  be  readily  imagined  by  those  of  my 
readers  who  are  acquainted  with  the  habits  of  the  more 
wealthy  of  the  pioneers;  and  those  who  have  not  that  advan- 
tage, may  fancy  it  what  they  please — for  it  has  little  to  do 
with  the  story.  One  article,  however,  must  not  be  passed 
over,  because  it  was  characteristic  of  the  times  of  the  country 


1C  -^^R.  •• 

1 94  LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 

this  was  a  bed,  covered  with  a  snow-white   counterpane, 

and  surrounded  by  a  fine  suit  of  curtains  ;  for  as  cabins — by 
which  we  mean  log  houses — however  large,  contain  but  few 
apartments,  all  of  them  are  occupied  as  sleeping-rooms,  and 
the  common  sitting-room  is  always  my  lady's  chamber.  One 
consequence  of  this  fashion  is,  an  excessive,  and  even  osten- 
tatious neatness,  rendered  necessary  by  the  fact,  that  every 
apartment  is  open  to  the  inspection  of  visitors  ;  and  another 
is,  that  the  mistress  of  the  mansion  must  be  an  early  riser, 
that  her  room  may  be  put  in  order  before  breakfast,  and  the 
visitors  must  retire  early  at  night,  to  avoid  encroaching  upon 
her  regular  hours. 

There  was  an  engraved  portrait  of  General  Washington 
hanging  over  the  fire-place,  and  above  it  a  rifle,  with  a  pow- 
der-horn and  shot-pouch.  Of  the  rest,  it  is  enough  to  say  that 
the  whole  interior  of  this  primitive  dwelling  bore  evidence 
that  it  was  the  residence  of  comfort  and  abundance — that  it 
was  the  habitation  of  a  fine,  liberal  old  gentleman,  and  a 
handsome,  neat,  industrious,  stately,  old  lady.  It  was,  as  we 
have  seen,  and  this  worthy  couple  were  both  revolutionary 
patriots,  who,  having  served  their  country  well  in  their  re- 
spective departments,  were  now  enjoying  their  laurels  in 
content  and  competency.  The  worthy  lady,  who  sat  in  the 
the  corner  opposite  to  her  husband,  diligently  plying  her 
knitting-needles,  still  retained  traces  of  great  beauty,  and 
wore  an  air  of  demure  sedateness,  mingled  with  a  feminine, 
lady-like  grace,  and  contrasted  finely  with  the  bold,  manly, 
countenance  of  her  lord.  She  was  a  dear  old  lady ;  few  of 
the  girls  were  as  handsome,  and  none  of  them  looked  half  so 
natural.  Her  soft  eye  beamed  with  benevolence,  the  chari- 
ties of  life  were  in  her  smile,  and  even  her  snow-white  cap 
had  a  matronly  and  Christian-like  appearance  which  invited 
respect.  Over  the  back  of  her  chair  hung  the  almanac  for  the 
current  year,  conveniently  at  hand  for  frequent  reference  ;  on 
whose  margin  might  be  seen  numerous  marks,  made  with  a 


HARPE'S   HEAD.  195 

pencil,  or  still  often er  with  the  point  of  a  needle,  denoting 
certain  days  on  which  remarkable  events  had  happened  in 
the  family,  such  as  the  birth  of  a  negro  or  a  brood  of  chickens, 
or  the  sale  of  a  crop  of  tobacco,  and  marking  the  times  in  the 
age  of  the  moon  most  proper  for  planting  particular  seeds, 
or  shearing  sheep,  or  weaning  children. 

When  supper  was  announced,  the  whole  party  was  seated 
round  a  large  table,  loaded  with  substantiate,  well  cooked, 
and  piping  hot.  Other  people  may  know  the  luxury  of  good 
eating,  but  the  Kentuckians  practise  it.  Before  the  master 
of  the  house  was  an  ample  dish  of  fried  chickens,  dressed  with 
cream  and  parsley,  a  little  farther  up  were  venison  steaks, 
then  fried  ham ;  then  there  was  cold  ham,  and  chipped  beef, 
and  sausages,  and,  better  than  all,  there  was  a  fine  dish  of 
hominy,  and  a  noble  pile  of  sweet  potatoes.  Of  the  eatables 
composed  of  bread-stuffs,  served  in  various  shapes,  no  one 
who  has  had  the  misfortune  to  be  raised  north  of  Mason  and 
Dixon's  line  can  form  an  adequate  conception.  The  biscuits, 
white,  light,  spungy,  and  smoking  hot — the  wheat  bread,  smok- 
ing hot — the  corn  bread,  smoking  hot — and  the  cakes,  almost 
red  hot — these  are  luxuries  which  defy  the  power  of  descrip- 
tion, and  the  excellent  qualities  of  which  can  only  be  estimated 
truly  by  that  infallible  test  which  the  old  adage  supposes  to 
be  necessary  in  reference  to  a  pudding.  There  was  no  lack 
of  sweetmeats  and  pastry ;  but  the  pride  of  the  feast  were  the 
great  pitchers  of  milk — sweet-milk,  sour^milk,  and  butter- 
milk; for,  after  all,  milk  is  the  staff  of  life,  and  is  a  thousand 
times  better  than  the  cold  water  so  much  lauded  by  modem 
philosophers.  There  were  other  good  things ;  but  we  shall 
content  ourselves  with  mentioning  a  capital  cup  of  coffee,  and 
leave  the  reader  to  form  his  own  conclusions  as  to  the  com- 
forts of  a  tea-table  in  the  backwoods. 

After  supper,  when  the  company  were  again  ranged  about 
the  fire,  the  conversation  took  a  lively  turn ;  hunting,  war, 
and  love  naturally  became  the  leading  subjects.  The  old, 


19G  LEGENDS   OF  THE   WEST. 

when  they  are  benevolent,  love  the  conversation  of  the  young. 
Genuine  simplicity  of  character  is  always  shown  in  a  relish 
for  hearing  the  sentiments  and  witnessing  the  joys  of  youth. 
Persons  of  the  strongest  minds  often  read  children's  books 
with  interest,  and  mingle  with  delight  in  their  sports.  Colo- 
nel Hendrickson  was  one  of  those.  Although  dignified  in  his 
manners,  and  even  austere  in  his  appearance,  he  could  unbend 
and  win  the  eager  attention  of  a  youthful  circle  by  his  cheer- 
ful sallies.  On  this  evening  he  was  in  high  spirits,  and 
joined  freely  in  the  mirth  of  his  guests. 

"  I  will  tell  you,"  said  he,  "  a  very  singular  hunting  ad- 
venture, which  happened  when  Mrs.  Hendrickson  and  I  were 

both  young  people " 

"  Mr.  Hendrickson,"  interposed  the  venerable  lady  mild- 
ly, but  with  a  little  spice  of  one  having  authority,  "  I  would 
not  tell  that  story  now." 

"  Why  not,  my  dear?     It  is  a  good  story." 
"  But  you  have  told  it  so  often,  Mr.  Hendrickson." 
"No  matter  for  that,  my  dear;  our  guests  have  never 
heard  it." 


"  You  must  know,"  said  he,  while  the  young  folks  all  as- 
sumed the  attitude  of  eager  listeners,  "  that  my  father  was  a 
wealthy  farmer,  in  the  western  part  of  old  Virginia.  We 
lived  near  the  mountain,  and  1  learned  to  hunt  when  I  was  a 
mere  boy.  We  had  plenty  of  servants,  and  I  had  little  else 
to  do  than  to  follow  my  own  inclination.  At  fourteen  I  used 
to  break  rny  father's  colts,  and  had  gained  the  reputation  of 
a  daring  rider  ;  at  the  same  age,  1  could  track  a  deer  as  suc- 
cessfully as  the  most  experienced  hunter;  and  before  I  was 
grown,  I  had  been  a  volunteer  against  the  Indians.  At  sixteen 
I  began  to  get  fond  of  going  to  see  the  young  ladies  ;  so  that 


HAKPE'SHEAD.  197 

between  my  gun,  ray  father's. colts  and  the  girls,  I  was  in  a 
fair  way  of  growing  up  a  spoiled  boy.  Things  went  on  in 
this  way  until  I  was  twenty-one ;  then  the  Revolution  came 
on,  and  saved  me.  War  is  a  good  thing  in  some  respects. 
It  furnishes  employment  for  idle  young  men.  It  brings  out 
the  talents,  and  strengthens  the  character  of  those  who  are 
good  for  any  thing ;  and  disposes  of  many  who  would  other- 
wise hang  upon  society,  and  be  in  the  way  of  better  folks.  I 
joined  a  company  that  was  raised  in  the  neighbourhood,  and 
was  made  an  officer ;  and  off  I  went,  in  a  gay  suit  of  regi- 
mentals, mounted  on  a  fine  horse,  with  a  capital  rifle  in  my 
hand,  and  a  heart  full  of  patriotism,  and  courage,  and  love. 
Perhaps  you  all  want  to  know  who  I  was  in  love  with  ?" 

Here  the  old  lady  began  to  fidget  in  her  chair  and  threw 
a  deprecating  look  at  her  spouse,  who  nevertheless  pro- 
ceeded : 

"  I  was  just  of  age,  and  my  old  dame  there  was  seven- 
teen, when  the  war  broke  out.  Our  fathers'  estates  joined, 
and  we  had  known  each  other  intimately  from  childhood. 
She  was  generally  allowed  by  every  body — " 

"Mr.  Hendrickson,"  exclaimed  Mrs.  H.,  "I  would  leave 
that  out." 

"To  be  remarkably  handsome,"  continued  the  Colonel, 
"  and  what  every  body  says  must  be  true.  She  was  really, 
although  I  say  it  myself,  a  very  great  beauty." 

"  Well,  I  declare — you  ought  to  be  ashamed,  Mr.  Hendrick- 
son !"  interrupted  the  lady  ;  but  the  husband,  who  was  used 
to  these  scattering  shots,  very  composedly  continued  his 
story. 

"  She  was  a  regular  toast  at  the  barbacues,  and  General 
Washington,  then  a  Colonel,  once  drank  her  health  at  a  coun- 
ty meeting." 

This  reminiscence  was  better  received  by  the  worthy  mat- 
ron, who  took  a  pinch  of  snuff,  and  then  left  the  room  ;  not 
without  throwing  a  look  of  pride  and  affection  at  her  good 


198  LKGENDS    OF    THE    WEST. 

man,  as  she  passed ;  but  as  the  tale  was  becoming  rather 
personal,  as  respected  herself,  she  remained  absent  until  near 
the  close  of  it." 

"  I  cannot  say  that  we  ever  fell  in  love  with  each  other  ; 
for  our  mutual  affection  commenced  with  childhood,  grew 
with  our  growth,  and  filled  our  hearts  so  gradually,  that  it 
may  be  said  to  have  formed  a  part  of  our  natures.  As  for 
courtship,  there  was  none  ;  I  rode  to  meeting  with  Caroline 
every  Sunday,  went  with  her  to  the  races  and  barbacues, 
danced  with  her  at  every  ball,  and  spent  half  of  my  time  at 
her  father's  house.  When  returning  home  late  in  the  even- 
ing, after  an  absence  of  several  days,  I  used  to  stop  at  her 
father's,  or  at  my  own,  just  as  happened  to  be  most  convenient, 
and  felt  myself  as  welcome  at  the  one  house  as  at  the  other. 
But  no  explanation  had  taken  place.  When  equipped  for 
service,  the  last  thing  I  did  before  I  marched  away,  was  to  go 
there  in  my  new  regimentals,  to  take  leave.  She  wept,  but 
my  mother  and  sisters  did  the  same,  and  I  thought  nothing 
of  it  at  the  time. 

"I  was  gone  more  than  a  year,  was  in  several  engage- 
ments, and  went  through  a  great  variety  of  hardship  and  suf- 
fering. We  were  poorly  paid,  badly  fed,  and  terribly 
thrashed  by  the  regulars  while  learning  the  discipline  which 
enabled  us  to  beat  them  in  return.  At  length  our  company 
was  completely  destroyed ;  some  were  killed,  some  taken 
prisoners,  some  got  sick,  and  a  few  got  tired  of  being  pa- 
triots. The  remainder  were  discharged,  or  transferred  into 
other  companies ;  and  I  obtained  leave  of  absence.  I  had 
lost  my  horse,  spent  all  my  money,  worn  out  my  clothes, 
and  had  no  means  of  travelling,  except  on  foot.  Patriotism, 
young  gentlemen,  was  a  poor  business  then,  and  is  not  much 
better  now.  Like  Falstaff 's  honour,  it  will  not  set  a  limb  ; 
and  I  found  to  my  sorrow  that  it  would  not  keep  out  cold  or 
furnish  a  barefoot  soldier  with  a  pair  of  shoes.  But  it 
warmed  the  hearts  and  opened  the  doors  of  all  true  whigs, 


HARPE'SHEAD.  199 

and  I  generally  procured  a  meal  and  a  night's  lodging  at  the 
close  of  each  day's  travel  under  the  roof  of  some  friend  to 
the  cause  of  liberty. 

"  I  had  lately  thought  a  great  deal  about  Caroline.  It  was 
not  until  I  parted  from  her  that  I  knew  how  necessary  she  was 
to  my  happiness.  I  now  recollected  her  remarks,  and  recalled 
with  delight  the  amusements  in  which  we  had  participated 
together.  When  lying  upon  the  ground  in  my  cheerless  tent, 
or  keeping  guard  at  some  solitary  outpost,  I  amused  the 
weary  hours  in  forming  plans  for  the  future,  in  which  she  was 
always  one  of  the  dramatis  persona.  When  any  thing  agree- 
able occurred,  I  longed  to  tell  it  to  her ;  and  when  in  trouble 
I  could  always  fancy  how  entirely  she  would  enter  into  my 
feelings,  and  how  tender  would  be  her  sympathy  could  she 
be  at  my  side.  I  had  no  doubt  that  her  sentiments  were 
similar  to  my  own ;  yet,  when  I  recollected  that  no  disclosure 
had  been  made  or  pledge  given  on  either  side,  and  that  she 
was  not  even  bound  to  know  of  my  attachment,  I  condemned 
myself  for  having  taken  no  precaution  to  secure  a  treasure 
without  which  the  laurels  I  had  won  would  be  valueless  and 
life  itself  a  burden. 

"  In  order  to  get  home  I  had  to  pass  the  door  of  Caroline's 
father ;  and  I  determined  to  stop  there  first,  curious  to  know 
whether  I  should  be  recognised  in  my  wretched  garb,  and 
how  I  should  be  received.  I  was  as  ragged  a  rebel  as  ever 
fought  against  his  unlawful  king.  I  tiad  no  shoes  on  my  feet, 
my  clothes  were  faded,  torn,  and  dirty,  my  long  hair  hung 
tangled  over  my  face,  I  had  been  without  a  razor  for  some 
time,  and  this  scar  which  you  see  on  my  cheek  was  then  a 
green  wound,  covered  with  a  black  patch.  Altogether  I 
looked  more  like  a  deserter  or  a  fugitive  from  a  prison-ship 
than  a  young  officer.  The  dogs  growled  at  me  as  I  approached 
the  house,  the  little  negroes  ran  away,  and  the  children  of  the 
family  hid  behind  the  door.  No  one  recognised  me,  and  I 
stood  in  the  hall  where  most  of  the  family  were  assembled, 


200  LEGENDS   OF   THE    WEST. 

like  some  being  dropped  from  another  world.  They  were 
engaged  in  various  employments  ;  as  for  Miss  Caroline,  she 
spinning  upon  a  large  wheel  in  the  farther  end  of  the  room; 
for  young  ladies  then,  however  wealthy  their  parents,  were 
all  taught  to  be  useful.  She  looked  at  me  attentively  as 
I  entered,  but  continued  her  work ;  and  I  never  felt  so  happy 
in  my  life  as  when  I  saw  her  graceful  form  and  her  light  step 
while  she  moved  forward  and  backward,  extending  her  hand- 
some arm  and  displaying  her  pretty  fingers  as  she  drew  her 
cotton  rolls  into  a  fine  thread.  The  ingenuity  of  woman 
never  invented  a  more  graceful  exercise  for  showing  off"  a 
beautiful  figure  than  spinning  cotton  on  a  large  wheel. 

"  I  thought  she  looked  pensive ;  but  her  cheek  was  as 
blooming  as  ever,  and  her  pretty  round  form,  instead  of  being 
emaciated  with  grief,  had  increased  in  stature  and  maturity. 
I  felt  vexed  to  think  that  she  was  not  wretched,  that  her  eyes 
were  not  red  with  watching,  nor  her  cheeks  furrowed  with 
tears.  J  endeavoured  to  speak  in  a  feigned  voice,  but  no 
sooner  did  the  tones  meet  her  ear  than  she  sprung  up,  eagerly 
repeated  my  name,  and  rushing  towards  me,  clasped  both  my 
hands  in  hers  with  a  warmness  and  frankness  of  affection 
which  admitted  no  concealment  and  left  no  room  for  doubt. 
The  whole  family  gathered  round  me,  and  it  was  with  some 
difficulty  that  I  tore  myself  away. 

u  When  my  good  mother  had  caused  me  to  be  trimmed, 
and  scrubbed,  and  brushed,  I  felt  once  more  the  luxury  of 
looking  and  feeling  like  a  gentleman.  I  passed  a  happy 
evening  under  my  native  roof;  and  the  next  morning  early 
shouldered  my  rifle  for  a  hunting  excursion.  My  friends 
thought  it  strange  that,  after  the  hardships  I  had  recently 
undergone,  I  should  so  soon  evince  a  desire  to  engage  in  this 
fatiguing  sport.  But  I  had  different  game  in  view  from  any 
that  they  dreamed  of.  I  took  a  by-path  which  led  to  the 
residence  of  a  certain  young  lady,  approaching  it  through  a 
strip  of  forest  which  extended  nearly  to  the  garden.  Caroline 


HARPS' s   HEAD.  201 

was  in  the  garden.  I  thought  she  was  dressed  with  more 
than  usual  taste,  and  she  certainly  tripped  along  with  a 
livelier  step  than  common.  I  leaped  the  fence,  and  in  a 
moment  was  at  her  side.  I  shall  not  tell  what  passed,  nor 
how  long  we  stood  concealed  behind  a  tall  clump  of  rose- 
bushes— nor  how  much  longer  we  might  have  continued  the 
tete-a-tete,  if  the  approach  of  some  one  had  not  caused  Caroline 
to  dart  away  like  a  frighted  deer,  while  I  retreated  to  the 
woods,  the  happiest  fellow  in  existence. 

"  I  strolled  through  the  forest  thinking  of  the  pleasant 
interview,  recalling  the  soft  pressure  of  the  hand  that  had 
trembled  in  mine,  the  exquisite  tones  of  the  voice  that  still 
murmured  in  my  ear,  and  the  artless  confessions  that  remained 
deeply  imprinted  on  my  heart.  It  was  some  hours  before  I 
recollected  that  in  order  to  save  appearances  I  must  kill  some 
game  to  carry  home.  How  many  fat  bucks  had  crossed  my 
path  since  I  was  musing  upon  this  precious  little  love-scene, 
I  know  not ;  I  had  wandered  several  miles  from  my  father's 
house,  and  it  was  now  past  noon. 

"  Throwing  off  my  abstraction  of  mind,  I  turned  my  atten- 
tion in  earnest  to  the  matter  in  hand,  and,  after  a  diligent 
search,  espied  a  deer  quietly  grazing  in  an  open  spot  in  full 
view.  I  took  aim,  touched  the  hair-trigger,  and  my  gun 
snapped.  The  deer,  alarmed,  bounded  away ;  and  not  being 
very  eager,  I  renewed  the  priming  and  strolled  on.  Another 
opportunity  soon  occurred,  when  my  unlucky  piece  again 
made  default, — the  priming  flashed  in  the  pan,  but  no  report 
followed.  As  I  always  kept  my  rifle  in  good  order,  I  Was 
not  a  little  surprised  that  two  such  accidents  should  follow  in 
quick  succession — and  I  began  to  consider  seriottsly  whether 
it  might  not  be  an  omen  that  my  courtship  would  end  in 
a  mere  flash.  Again  and  again  I  made  the  same  attempt,  and 
with  a  similar  result.  I  was  now  far  from  home,  and  night 
was  closing  around  me ;  I  could  not  see  to  hunt  any  longer, 
nor  was  I  willing  to  return  home  without  having  killed  arty 
9* 


202  LEGENDS    OF    THE    WEST. 

thing.  To  sleep  in  the  woods  was  no  hardship,  for  I  had  long 
been  accustomed  to  lodging  upon  the  hard  ground  in.  the  open 
air ;  indeed,  I  had  been  kept  awake  most  of  the  preceding 
night  by  the  novel  luxury  of  a  feather-bed.  Accordingly  I 
kindled  a  fire  and  threw  myself  on  the  ground.  I  never  was 
superstitious ;  but  my  mind  was  at  that  time  in  a  state 
of  peculiar  sensitiveness.  My  return  home,  the  sudden  relief 
from  privation  and  suffering,  the  meeting  with  my  family, 
and  the  interview  with  Caroline,  had  all  concurred  to  bewilder 
and  intoxicate  my  brain ;  and  as  I  lay  in  the  dark  shade  of 
the  forest,  gazing  at  the  few  stars  that  twinkled  through  the 
intervals  of  the  foliage,  some  of  the  wild  traditions  of  the 
hunters  occurred  to  my  memory,  and  I  persuaded  myself  that 
a  spell  had  been  placed  upon  my  gun.  When  I  fell  asleep  I 
dreamed  of  being  in  battle  unarmed,  of  hunting  without  am- 
munition, and  being  married  without  getting  a  wife  : — the 
upshot  of  the  whole  matter  was,  that  I  slept  without  being 
refreshed. 

"I  rose,  and  was  proceeding  towards  a  neighbouring 
spring,  when  a  strain  of  singular  music  burst  upon  my  ear. 
It  was  so  wild,  solemn,  and  incoherent,  that  I  could  make 
nothing  of  it,  and  became  more  and  more  convinced  that  I 
certainly  was  bewitched ;  but  determined  to  see  the  end  of 
this  mysterious  adventure,  I  hastened  towards  the  spot  from 
which  the  sounds  proceeded.  As  I  approached,  the  tones 
became  familiar,  and  I  recognised  a  voice  which  I  had  known 
from  childhood.  I  had  rested  near  the  foot  of  a  mountainous 
ridge,  at  a  spot  where  a  pile  of  rocky  masses  rose  in  tall 
cliffs  abruptly  from  the  plain.  Against  the  bald  sides  of  these 
precipices  the  rising  sun  now  shone,  lighting  them  up  with  un- 
usual splendour.  On  a  platform  of  rock,  overhung  by  jutting 
points,  from  which  the  sound  of  the  voice  was  returned  by 
numerous  echoes,  knelt  a  superannuated  negro,  whom  I  had 
known  from  my  infancy.  From  my  earliest  recollection,  he 
had  been  a  kind  of  privileged  character,  wandering  about  the 


HARPE'S    HEAD.  203 

country,  and  filling  the  various  offices  of  fiddler,  conjurer,  and 
preacher.  Latterly  he  had  quit  fiddling,  and  taken  to  philos- 
ophy, most  probably  because  ambition,  the  last  infirmity  of 
noble  minds,  had  induced  him  to  seek  higher  honours  than 
those  achieved  by  the  triumphs  of  the  violin.  The  old  man 
was  engaged  in  his  morning  devotions,  and  was  chanting  a 
hymn  at  the  top  of  his  voice,  with  great  apparent  fervour  and 
sincerity.  I  made  up  my  mind  in  a  moment  that  he  wras  the 
very  conjurer  who  had  placed  a  spell  upon  my  gun,  and  per- 
haps upon  my  courtship ;  for  he  had  long  served  as  a  kind  of 
lay-brother  at  the  altar  of  Hymen,  and  was  famous  for  his 
skill  in  delivering  billet-doux,  and  finding  out  young  ladies' 
secrets.  Moreover,  his  name  was  Cupid.  As  soon  as  his 
devotions  were  concluded,  I  approached  and  disclosed  with 
perhaps  more  seriousness  of  manner  than  I  felt,  and  certainly 
with  more  than  I  would  have  acknowledged,  the  mysterious 
conduct  of  my  gun,  which  was  as  good  a  rifle  as  ever  a  man 
put  to  his  shoulder,  and  my  suspicions  that  some  necromancy 
had  been  practised.  The  old  man  was  overjoyed  to  see  me, 
for  I  had  danced  to  his  violin  many  a  long  night ;  he  uttered 
some  very  profound  and  philosophic  moral  reflections  upon 
the  rapidity  with  which  little  boys  grow  up  into  big  men — 
complimented  me  upon  my  improved  appearance  and  safe  re- 
turn from  the  wars,  and  assured  me  that  I  looked  '  mighty 
sogerfied.'1  Then  proceeding  to  inspect  my  unlucky  weapon, 
he  first  examined  the  lock,  then  drew  the  ramrod,  and  having 
searched  the  barrel,  handed  it  back,  exclaiming,  with  a  most 
sarcastic  grin, 

"  '  Please  goodness  !  massa  Charley,  how  you  speck  your 
gun  go  off,  ''out  no  powder  V 

"  The  truth  broke  upon  my  mind  with  the  suddenness  of 
an  explosion.  I  stood  with  my  finger  in  my  mouth  like  a  boy 
caught  in  a  forbidden  orchard,  a  lover  detected  in  the  act  of 
swearing  allegiance  upon  his  knees,  or  an  author  whose  wit 
has  flashed  in  the  pan.  The  simple  fact  was,  that  in  the 


204  LEGENDS   OP  THE   W E  s  T  . 

pleasure  of  courting,  and  the  delight  of  winning  my  old  dame 
there,  who,  plain  as  you  see  her  now,  was,  as  I  said  before,  in 
her  young  days,  allowed  to  be  a  great  beauty,  I  had  totally 
forgot  to  load  my  gun !  But  old  Cupid  kept  my  secret — I 
kept  my  own  counsel — Caroline  kept  her  word,  and  I  have 
always  had  reason  to  consider  that  as  the  best  hunt  I  ever 
made." 


HARPE'S   HEAD.  205 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 

TTTHEN  Colonel  Hendrickson  had  concluded  his  story,  it 
'  *  was  found  that  the  hour  of  retiring  to  repose  had  ar- 
rived. Mrs.  Hendrickson  arose  and  placed  a  large  family 
bible  and  a  hymn-book  upon  the  table  ;  for  these  worthy  peo- 
ple, as  we  are  happy  to  say  is  the  case  with  a  great  many 
families  in  this  region,  never  separated  for  the  night  without 
bowing  down  together  in  worship.  The  Colonel  read  a  chap- 
ter in  the  holy  book,  selected  a  hymn,  in  the  singing  of  which 
the  whole  circle  joined,  and  then  kneeling  down  prayed  with 
fervour  and  solemnity.  There  is  no  worship  which  impresses 
the  imagination  and  warms  the  heart  like  that  of  the  family. 
When  in  the  silent  hour  of  night  those  who  are  joined  to- 
gether by  consanguinity  and  affection  kneel  together — when 
the  father  prays  for  his  children  and  dependents — there  is  a 
touching  interest  and  a  moral  beauty  in  the  scene ;  and  we 
know  not  how  any  who  profess  the  doctrines  of.  Christianity 
can  neglect  so  serious  a  duty,  or  deny  themselves  so  delight- 
ful a  pleasure. 

Just  as  they  were  about  to  retire,  a  loud  barking  of  the 
dogs  announced  the  arrival  of  other  visitors,  who  proved  to 
be  a  party  of  boys,  sons  of  the  neighbouring  farmers,  going 
to  hunt  the  raccoon.  They  had  called  to  borrow  the  Colonel's 
favourite  dog,  who  was  famous  at  catching  these  animals. 
Mr.  George  Lee,  delighted  with  any  thing  in  the  nature  of 
sport,  immediately  proposed  to  the  other  gentlemen  to  join 


206  LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 

the  party,  but  they  declined  participating  in  any  amusement 
which  was  considered  as  being  more  properly  suited  to  boys. 
But  George  was  not  to  be  balked  in  his  humour.  A  refusal 
from  Virginia  P.endleton  had  always  the  effect  of  driving  him 
to  the  sports  of  the  field  with  renewed  ardour,  and  he  now 
joined  the  lads  in  their  excursion  with  hearty  good  will. 

The  party  consisted  of  a  number  of  lads,  some  of  whom 
were  nearly  grown,  and  others  quite  small.  They^  carried 
axes  and  blazing  torches,  and  were  followed  by  a  number  of 
dogs.  On  reaching  the  woods,  the  dogs  scattered  in  different 
directions  in  search  of  their  game  ;  and  the  human  animals 
strolled  carelessly  along,  waiting  for  a  signal  from  their  brute 
companions.  The  atmosphere  was  still,  but  frosty;  it  was  a 
clear  and  starlight  night,  but  the  heavy  mass  of  decaying 
leaves  that  still  clothed  the  tops  of  the  tall  trees,  rendered 
the  darkness  impenetrable,  except  where  the  torches  carried 
by  the  hunters  threw  a  bright  glare  immediately  around 
them  as  they  passed  along.  The  stillness  that  reigned  through 
the  forest  was  profound.  As  the  hunters  moved,  the  leaves 
rustled  under  their  footsteps,  and  their  voices  breaking  in 
upon  the  repose  of  nature  seemed  to  have  an  unnatural  loud- 
ness  ;  and  when  they  stood  still  to  listen,  nothing  could  be 
heard  but  now  and  then  a  distant  faint  sound  of  the  tread  of 
a  dog,  leaping  rapidly  over  the  dried  vegetation,  or  the  scream 
of  an  affrighted  bird.  They  pursued  no  path,  but  strolled 
fearlessly  through  the  coverts  of  the  forest,  directed  only  by 
their  acquaintance  with  the  local  features  of  the  country. 
They  often  paused  to  listen.  The  do^s  continued  to  hunt, 
taking  wide  circuits  through  the  forest,  and  returning  at  long 
intervals,  one  by  one  to  their  masters,  as  if  to  report  progress  or 
to  ascertain  what  had  been  the  success  of  others.  All  at  once 
a  barking  was  heard,  falling  upon  the  ear  so  faintly,  as  to 
show  that  it  proceeded  from  a  distant  spot.  It  came  from  a 
single  dog,  and  announced  that  he  had  fallen  upon  the  scent 
of  a  raccoon ;  and  in  a  few  minutes  a  change  in  the  tones  of 


HARPE'S   HEAD.  207 

the  animal  which  became  more  lively,  intimated  that  he  had 
chased  the  game  to  its  hiding-place.  The  other  dogs,  on 
hearing  this  sound,  all  rushed  eagerly  towards  the  spot  from 
whence  it  proceeded,  followed  by  the  hunters  at  full  speed. 
They  found  the  successful  dog  sitting  at  the  foot  of  a  large 
honey-locust  tree — or  as  the  boys  expressed  it,  "  barking  up 
A  honey-locust,"  with  every  appearance  of  triumphant  de- 
light. 

The  first  thing  which  was  now  done,  was,  to  collect  a 
quantity  of  fallen  limbs,  which  were  piled  into  a  large  heap, 
and  lighted  by  means  of  the  torches  that  had  been  brought 
for  this  purpose.  In  a  few  minutes  an  intense  blaze  shot  up- 
wards, throwing  a  brilliant  glare  of  light  upon  the  surround- 
ing scene ;  and  the  animal  for  whose  capture  these  prepara- 
tions were  made,  was  seen  standing  on  a  bough  forty  feet 
from  the  ground,  endeavouring  to  conceal  itself,  while  it  gazed 
downwards  in  alarm  and  wonder.  A  loud  shout  announced 
the  delight  of  the  party  on  beholding  their  game,  th3  dogs 
evinced  an  equal  degree  of  pleasure,  and  it  would  have  been 
hard  to  tell  which  animals — the  human  or  canine — experi- 
enced the  greatest  degree  of  enjoyment  in  the  sport. 

The  young  men  now  threw  off.  their  coats  and  began 
with  their  axes  to  cut  down  the  tree  in  which  their  prey 
had  taken  refuge.  It  was  several  feet  in  circumference  ;  but 
that  which  would  have  been  considered,  under  other  circum- 
stances, a  laborious  task,  was  cheerfully  undertaken  in  the 
eager  pursuit  of  amusement.  Blow  after  blow  fell  upon  the 
solid  trunk  in  quick  succession,  and  the  woods  re-echoed  the 
rapid  and  cheerful  strokes  of  the  axe.  Two  of  the  hunters 
wielded  the  axe  on  opposite  sides  of  the  tree,  striking  alter- 
nately with  regular  cadence,  and  with  such  energy  and  skill 
that  every  blow  made  its  appropriate  impression ;  others  re- 
lieved them,  from  time  to  time,  by  taking  their  places,  while 
the  smaller  lads  continued  to  supply  fuel  to  the  fire.  At 
length  the  work  was  so  nearly  accomplished  that  a  few  more 


208  LEGENDS   OF   THE    WEST. 

blows  only  were  required  to  complete  it,  and  all  of  the  party, 
except  those  engaged  in  chopping,  retired  to  the  side  of  the 
tree  opposite  to  the  direction  in  which  it  was  expected  to  fall, 
gathering  together  all  the  dogs,  and  holding  them  fast  by 
main  strength,  to  prevent  them  from  running  under  the  falling 
tree,  and  being  crushed  by  its  descent.  Nor  was  it  an  easy 
matter  to  restrain  the  eager  animals,  for  no  sooner  did  the 
great  tree  begin  to  totter  and  creak,  than  they  began  to  whine 
and  struggle,  showing  the  greatest  impatience  to  rush  forward 
and  seize  their  prey,  as  soon  as  he  should  reach  the  ground. 
The  tall  tree  slowly  bowed  its  top,  trembling  for  a  moment 
as  if  balanced,  then  cracking  louder  and  quicker,  and  at  last 
falling  rapidly,  tearing  and  crushing  the  boughs  that  inter- 
cepted its  downward  progress,  and  stretching  its  enormous 
length  on  the  ground  with  a  tremendous  crash.  The  neigh- 
bouring trees,  whose  branches  were  torn  off,  and  whose  tops 
were  disturbed  by  the  sudden  rush  of  air  accompanying  the 
fall  of  so  large  a  body,  bowed  their  heads  over  their  prostrate 
comrade,  waved  their  splintered  limbs,  and  then  relapsed  into 
their  original  state  of  majestic  repose. 

No  sooner  did  the  tree  strike  the  ground,  than  the  raccoon 
darted  from  among  its  quivering  branches  and  bounded  away 
pursued  by  the  whole  yelling  pack  of  dogs  and  boys.  And 
now  there  was  shouting  and  scrambling.  Surrounded  by  so 
many  foes,  the  raccoon  was  soon  brought  to  bay  by  a  young 
dog,  who  paid  dearly  for  his  inexperience,  for  the  enraged 
animal  turning  suddenly,  struck  his  sharp  teeth  into  the  head 
of  the  dog,  who  yelled  lustily  with  pain ;  this  occupied  but 
a  second  ;  the  raccoon  resumed  his  flight,  and  the  beaten  dog, 
whining  and  bleeding,  slunk  away.  Again  and  again  was 
the  hard-pressed  animal  obliged  to  face  his  pursuers,  who  now 
headed  him  in  every  direction  that  he  turned,  and  more  than 
one  dog  felt  his  keen  bite.  The  human  tormentors  crowded 
around,  interfering  no  further  than  by  encouraging  the  dogs 
with  loud  shouts  ;  and  the  sport  went  bravely  on,  until  the 


HARPE'S    HEAD.  20$ 

raccoon  suddenly  springing  at  the  trunk  of  a  large  tree,  clam- 
bered up,  and  with  a  few  active  bounds  placed  himself  out  of 
the  reach  of  his  pursuers. 

Another  fire  was  now  kindled  under  the  second  tree,  which 
happened  to  be  of  a  less  formidable  size  than  the  first,  and 
the  undefatigable  hunters  went  to  work  again  with  their  axes. 
The  raccoon  was  less  fortunate  than  before,  for  when  the  tree 
fell,  he  was  completely  surrounded  by  his  enemies,  who  took 
care  to  prevent  him  from  again  "  treeing.'1'1  It  was  astonishing 
to  see  the  fierceness  and  success  with  which  this  small  animal 
defended  himself  against  so  many  adversaries  of  superior 
size ;  the  sharpness  of  his  teeth,  and  the  quickness  with 
which  he  snapped,  rendered  his  bite  severe,  and  his  sagacity 
in  seizing  upon  the  most  vital  and  sensitive  parts  of  the 
bodies  of  his  assailants  was  remarkable.  He  sprung  often  at 
the  eye,  the  lip.  and  throat  of  the  dog  who  ventured  to  en- 
gage him  ;  and  it  is  always  observable  that  a  dog  who  is  a 
veteran  in  such  affairs,  or  as  the  hunters  say,  "  an  old  'coon 
dog,"  has  a  face  covered  with  scars,  an  effect  probably  pro- 
duced by  the  skill  of  the  canine  animal,  in  protecting  the  rest 
of  his  body,  by  presenting  his  front  only  to  his  foe.  It  was 
impossible,  however,  to  contend  long  against  such  unequal 
numbers ;  several  of  the  dogs  were  sent  yelling  out  of  the 
fight ;  but  at  last  one  more  experienced  and  bolder  than  the 
rest  rushed  in,  seized  the  brave  little  animal  by  the  throat, 
and  in  a  moment  worried  him  to  death.  The  whole  combat, 
though  lively,  fierce,  and  eventful,  lasted  but  a  few  minutes. 

The  dogs  were  again  sent  out,  and  soon  succeeded  in  chas- 
ing another  victim  into  a  tree,  and  the  same  proceedings  were 
thereupon  had,  as  a  lawyer  would  say,  as  in  the  case  afore- 
said ;  and  in  the  course  of  the  night  several  raccoons  were 
taken  in  a  similar  manner,  so  far  as  respected  the  kindling  of 
fires  and  chopping  down  trees.  In  other  particulars,  however, 
there  was  a  considerable  variety  of  incident.  A  veteran  old 
male  raccoon  fought  like  a  determined  warrior,  and  sold  his 


210  LEGENDS    OF   THE    WEST. 

life  dearly,  while  one  of  smaller  size,  or  of  the  softer  sex,  fell 
an  easy  prey.  Sometimes  the  unhappy  animal  was  crushed 
to  death  by  the  fall  of  the  tree  in  which  it  had  taken  refuge; 
and  sometimes  after  an  immense  tree  had  been  felled  with 
great  labour,  it  was  found  that  the  wily  game  had  stolen  away 
along  the  interlocking  branches,  and  found  refuge  in  the  top 
of  another.  Then  the  fires  were  renewed,  and  the  bright 
glare  usually  enabled  the  hunters  to  discover  the  fugitive 
closely  nestled  in  a  fork,  or  at  the  junction  of  a  large  limb 
with  the  body  of  a  tree,  where  it  lay  concealed  until  curiosity 
induced  it  to  show  its  face  in  the  sly  endeavour  to  take  a  peep 
at  the  operations  going  on  below,  or  some  slight  motion  be- 
traying a  protruding  paw  or  the  quivering  tip  of  the  tail. 
Occasionally  the  young  dogs  committed  the  disgraceful  mis- 
take of  "  treeing"  a  lazy  fat  opossum  in  the  branches  of  a 
slender  sapling,  from  which  it  was  quickly  shaken  down  and 
beaten  to  death  ignominiously  with  clubs. 

The  hunters  were  nearly  satiated  with  sport,  when  it  hap- 
pened that  the  dogs  on  striking  a  trail  went  off  with  great 
vivacity,  following  it  to  a  considerable  distance,  to  the  surprise 
of  their  wearied  masters ;  for  the  raccoon  runs  slowly,  and  on 
finding  itself  pursued,  immediately  climbs  a  tree.  On  they 
went,  full  of  hope,  the  scent  growing  more  and  more  fresh? 
and  the  dogs  barking  louder  and  with  greater  animation  as 
they  proceeded,  until  the  game  was  driven  to  a  tree.  The 
fire  was  lighted,  when  the  trembling  of  a  bough  showed  that 
the  animal  was  springing  from  one  tree  to  another,  where  new 
operations  were  commenced,  and  the  axes  were  striking  mer- 
rily, when  an  alarm  from  the  dogs  was  heard,  and  it  was  found 
that  the  wily  game  after  stealing  from  tree  to  tree  had  de- 
scended to  the  ground  and  dashed  off.  Away  went  the  dogs 
and  boys  again  in  higher  spirits  than  ever,  for  the  ingenuity 
and  boldness  of  the  animal  showed  that  nobler  game  was  now 
started,  and  that  they  were  on  the  trail  of  a  wild-cat,  who  was 
so  closely  pressed  as  to  be  again  obliged,  afte#  a  gallant  run 


HARPB'S  HEAD.  211 

of  about  half  a  mile,  to  take  refuge  in  the  branches  of  a  tall 
oak  which  happened  to  stand  apart  so  that  the  animal  could 
not  leap  into  a  neighbouring  tree.  Fires  were  now  lighted  all 
round  the  spot,  so  that  a  considerable  space  was  illuminated 
with  a  brilliancy  as  great  as  that  of  noon-day  ;  the  cat  was 
seen,  with  back  erect  and  glaring  ryeballs,  looking  fiercely 
down  ;  the  axes  were  plied  with  renewed  vigour  and  the  oak 
was  soon  prostrated.  Greater  precautions  were  now  used  to 
prevent  the  escape  of  their  prey  ;  the  youths  armed  with  clubs 
formed  a  large  circle  and  the  dogs  rushed  in  from  different 
directions.  The  enraged  animal  sprung  boldly  out,  bounding 
with  vigorous  leaps,  showing  his  white  teeth  and  growling 
defiance.  The  dogs  highly  excited  dashed  fearlessly  at  their 
prey f and  a  hot  engagement  ensued,  for  they  had  now  to  cope 
with  one  of  the  most  ferocious  brutes  of  the  forest — one 
which,  though  not  large  in  size,  is  muscular,  active,  cunning, 
and  undauntedly  fierce.  Fighting  with  teeth  and  claws,  he 
inflicted  deep  wounds  on  his  eager  assailants.  Growling,  bark- 
ing, hissing,  and  shouting,  were  mingled  in  horrible  discord. 
Dried  leaves  and  earth  and  fur  were  thrown  into  the  air,  and 
the  slender  bushes  were  crushed  and  trampled  down  by  the 
maddened  combatants.  Surrounded  and  attacked  on  all  sides 
the  furious  cat  fought  with  desperation.  Sometimes  spring- 
ing suddenly  up  over  the  heads  of  his  assailants  he  alighted 
on  the  back  of  a  dog,  fixing  his  teeth  deep  in  the  neck,  driving 
his  sharp  claws  into  the  throat  on  either  side  and  bearing  down 
the  agonized  and  suffocated  animal  to  the  earth;  and  some- 
times overthrown,  and  fighting  on  his  back,  bitten  and  worried 
from  every  direction,  he  sprang  at  the  throat  of  one  of  his 
tormentors,  sunk  his  deadly  fangs  into  the  jugular,  nor  released 
his  hold  until  the  dog  quivered  with  the  pangs  of  death  ;  until 
wounded,  torn,  bleeding,  and  exhausted,  he  was  ove'rpowered 
by  numbers.  Thus  ended,  in  triumph,  a  most  glorious  hunt. 
The  night  was  nearly  wasted,  and  the  sportsmen,  now  sev- 
eral miles  from  home,  began  to  retrace  their  steps.  After 


212  LEGENDS   OF   THE    WEST. 

proceeding  a  short  distance  they  divided  into  several  parties, 
each  taking  the  nearest  direction  to  their  respective  habita- 
tions. One  of  the  youths  agreed  to  accompany  Mr.  Lee  to 
Colonel  Hendrickson's ;  and  our  friend  George,  after  express- 
ing the  delight  he  had  experienced  in  the  "capital  sport" 
which  they  had  enjoyed,  bade  them  a  hearty  good-night  and 
marched  off  with  his  young  guide  through  the  dark  and  now 
silent  forest.  Fatigued  with  several  hours  of  severe  exercise 
they  sauntered  slowly  along,  and  as  the  hunter  walks  habit- 
ually with  a  noiseless  tread,  their  footsteps  fell  silently  on  the 
leafv  carpet  of  the  forest.  The  death-like  repose  of  the  woods 
afforded  a  strong  contrast  to  the  fires  which  had  lately 
gleamed,  and  the  sounds  of  conflict  that  had  awakened  the 
echoes  of  the  wilderness.  Although  the  darkness  was  aknost 
impenetrable,  the  guide  moved  forward  with  unerring  skill, 
keeping  the  direct  course  without  deviation,  climbing  over 
hills  on  whose  summits  the  star-light  glimmered  faintly 
through  the  foliage,  or  descending  into  vales  where  not  a  gleam 
of  the  light  of  heaven  broke  in  upon  the  solitary  travellers. 

At  length  they  crossed  their  former  track  at  a  spot  where 
one  of  the  fires  had  been  lighted.  The  fuel  had  been  heaped 
up  at  the  foot  of  a  dead  tree  of  considerable  magnitude,  and 
as  the  pile  had  been  great  and  the  heat  intense,  the  flames  had 
enveloped  the  trunk,  extended  upwards  to  the  branches  and 
lighted  the  whole  fabric  in  ablaze  of  glowing  fire.  They  first 
saw  this  beautiful  sight  from  the  summit  of  a  neighbouring 
hill,  from  which,  though  still  distant,  it  was  distinctly  visible 
— a  tree  of  fire,  standing  alone  in  the  dark  forest !  The  trunk 
presented  a  tall  column  of  intense  redness,  round  which  the 
flames  curled  and  rolled,  giving  to  this  majestic  pillar  of  fire 
the  appearance  of  a  waving  motion  ;  while  the  branches  and 
twigs  were  all  lighted  up  and  completely  enveloped  with  the 
glowing  element,  and  parts  of  them  were  continually  break- 
ing off  and  falling  to  the  ground  like  drops  of  blazing  liquid. 
As  they  stood  gazing  at  this  splendid  exhibition,  several 


HARPE'S   HEAD.  213 

figures  were  seen  moving  in  the  light  close  to  the  burning 
tree,  which  were  ascertained  to  be  those  of  men  and  horses ; 
and  the  hunters  felt  their  curiosity  excited  by  the  appearance 
of  horsemen  in  this  solitary  place  at  such  an  hour.  Mr.  Lee 
proposed  to  approach  them  and  ascertain  their  character ;  and 
the  guide,  equally  inquisitive,  consented,  with  some  hesitation, 
and  after  suggesting  the  propriety  of  using  caution.  Deeds 
of  violence  had  lately  been  perpetrated  ;  and  the  young  forester 
whispered  that  for  some  days  past,  when  the  men  of  the 
family  were  at  work  in  the  fields  at  some  distance  from  the 
house,  his  mother  had  kept  the  doors  fastened  all  day,  and  if 
she  heard  a  footstep  approaching  hid  her  children  and  armed 
herself  .with  a  rifle  before  she  looked  out  to  ascertain  the  char- 
acter of  the  visitor.  The  butcheries  of  the  Harpes  had  filled 
the  whole  country  with  dread. 

Thus  prepared,  they  advanced  cautiously  towards  the  fire, 
and  came  sufficiently  near  to  distinguish  two  men,  stout,  ill- 
looking,  and  completely  armed.  They  frequently  looked  sus- 
piciously around,  and  listened  like  men  expecting  to  be  pur- 
sued and  resolved  to  be  on  their  guard ;  and  as  they  stood 
exposed  in  the  broad  glare  of  the  light,  there  could  be  no 
doubt  that  they  were  the  identical  ruffians  who  had  disturbed 
the  peace  of  these  new  settlements,  and  against  whom  the 
whole  community  was  about  to  rise  in  vengeance.  Each  of 
them  held  by  the  bridle  a  fine  horse  panting  as  if  from  a  hard 
ride.  There  was  another  person  with  them,  to  whom  one  of 
the  men  was  speaking  in  earnest  and  authoritative  language, 
and  who  was  recognised  at  a  glance  by  Mr.  Lee  as  his  late 
companion,  Hark  Short  the  snake-killer. 

After  conversing  a  few  minutes  the  men  mounted  their 
horses  and  rode  rapidly  away,  plunging  their  spurs  into  the 
sides  of  their  spirited  steeds  and  riding  over  obstacles  and 
through  brush  with  fearless  and  careless  speed.  Mr.  Lee 
waited  until  they  were  out  of  hearing,  and  then  advanced  to 
the  fire  to  speak  to  Hark  ;  but  the  boy  on  hearing  his  foot- 


y^     * 

214  LEGENDS   OF   THK    WEST. 

steps  ran  nimbly  away,  without  waiting  to  ascertain  who  it 
was  that  approached ;  and  the  hunters  resumed  their  home- 
ward way,  which  led  in  a  direction  opposite  to  that  taken  by 
the  Harpes. 


HARPE'S    HEAD.  215 


CHAPTEE    XXIY. 

TT  was  nearly  noon  when  Mr.  Lee  rose  the  following 
-*-  morning.  He  found  Colonel  Hendrickson  and  all  his  guests 
waiting  for  him  to  accompany  them  in  a  ride  to  the  house  of 
a  neighbouring  gentleman,  where  they  had  engaged  to  dine. 
When  he  communicated  the  intelligence  of  having  seen  the 
Harpes  on  the  preceding  night,  the  gentlemen  expressed 
great  regret  at  not  having  heard  it  sooner,  and  determined  to 
go  in  a  body  the  next  day  in  pursuit  of  the  ruffians. 

The  horses  were  soon  at  the  door,  and  the  gay  party  be- 
gan to  mount,  each  of  the  young  gentlemen  selecting  a  fa- 
vourite fair  one  for  his  own  special  charge,  as  is  customary  and 
proper  in  all  well-regulated  parties  of  pleasure.  Mr.  Lee, 
who  considered  that  he  had  a  prescriptive  right  to  wait  upon 
Miss  Pendleton,  was  advancing  to  assist  her  to  mount  her 
horse,  when  he  perceived  that  Mr.  Fennimore  had  already 
taken  her  hand  ;  and  turned  back,  jealous,  mortified,  and  al- 
most determined  that  he  would  not  join  the  company.  The 
blood  mounted  into  his  cheeks,  and  his  brow  lowered,  as  he 
.stood  irresolute — a  momentary  passion  of  rage  struggling  in 
his  bosom,  against  his  native  good-humour  and  habitual 
politeness. 

Colonel  Hendrickson  saw  his  embarrassment,  and  with 
ready  politeness  endeavoured  to  remore  it. 

"  Mr.  Lee,"  said  he,  "  I  must  show  you  a  few  acres  of  fine 
tobacco,  as  we  ride  along.  I  suspect  you  are  a  good  judge 


216  LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 

of  such  matters ;  your  father,  if  I  recollect,  was  a  famous 
tobacco  raiser." 

George  bowed,  and  silently  walked  with  his  host  towards 
their  horses. 

"  Cousin  George,"  said  Miss  Pendleton,  with  one  of  her 
sweetest  smiles,  as  he  was  stalking  sulkily  by  her  horse's 
head,  "  will  you  have  the  goodness  to  arrange  that  rein  for 
me?" — the  cloud  passed  from  his  brow,  as  he  placed  his  hand 
on  the  bridle — "  not  that  one,  George,  the  other — thank  you 
— there — that  is  exactly  right — you  are  going  with  us,  cousin 
George?"  and,  bowing  gracefully,  she  rode  off,  escorted  by 
Mr.  Fennimore ;  while  George  Lee,  completely  conciliated 
by  this  little  manoeuvre,  swore,  internally,  that  she  was  the 
sweetest  creature  in  the  world,  and  that  Fennirrore  deserved 
to  be  shot. 

As  the  gay  company  filed  off  in  couples,  Mr.  Lee  and  the 
Colonel  lingered  in  the  rear  ;  the  latter  pointed  out  his  tobacco 
crop,  his  com,  and  his  turnips,  talked  of  his  horses,  and  then 
turned  the  subject  to  hunting,  and  told  some  stirring  anecdotes 
of  backwoods  adventure.  George  listened  until  he  became 
interested,  and,  before  the  ride  was  over,  had  recovered  his 
usual  spirits.  But  still  he  was  not  satisfied.  To  give  up 
Virginia  was  sufficiently  painful,  but  to  see  another  carry  off 
the  bright  prize  was  more  than  his  slender  stock  of  philosophy 
could  bear. 

They  found  a  large  party  assembled  to  dinner.  We  shall 
not  stop  to  count  the  roasted  pigs  and  turkeys,  the  juicy 
hams,  the  fat  haunches  of  venison,  the  bowls  of  apple-toddy, 
and  the  loads  of  good  things  on  which  they  were  regaled. 
More  important  matters  lie  before  us,  and  urge  us  forward  to 
the  sequel  of  this  history. 

After  dinner,  when  the  gentlemen  were  strolling  in  the 
open  air,  Mr.  Lee  whispered  to  Mr.  Fennimore  that  he 
wished  to  converse  with  him  in  private,  and  led  the  way  to  a 
retired  place.  Fennimore  noticed  his  discontented  air,  and 


HARPE'S   HEAD.  217 

an  expression  of  defiance  on  his  features,  and  followed  him  in 
silence,  wondering  what  was  to  be  the  subject  of  their  secret 
conference.  When  entirely  out  of  hearing  of  the  rest  of 
the  company,  Mr.  Lee  demanded,  in  a  haughty  tone, 

"  I  wish  to  know,  sir,  whether  you  intended  to  affront  me 
by  your  conduct  this  morning  ?" 

"  Most  certainly  not,"  replied  Mr.  Fennimore,  in  a  cheer- 
ful tone.  "  I  am  even  ignorant  of  the  circumstance  to  which 
you  allude." 

George  had  invited  his  rival  to  this  conversation  in  the 
determination  to  quarrel  with  him  at  all  events.  The  con- 
ciliatory tone  of  Fennimore  disarmed  him  for-  a  moment ; 
but  having,  like  most  men  when  acting  under  the  influence 
of  passion,  predetermined  not  to  be  satisfied,  he  returned  to 
the  charge. 

"  Do  you  say,  sir,  that  you  do  not  consider  it  an  affront, 
to  have  stepped  between  me  and  a  lady  that  I  was  about  to 
conduct  to  her  horse?" 

"  If  I  had  done  so  intentionally,  I  should  say  I  had  been 
guilty  of  great  rudeness." 

"  Then  you  assert  that  you  did  not  do  it  purposely  ?'* 

"  I  do,  sir,"  replied  the  officer,  composedly  ;  "  and  I  will 
add " 

"  Well,  sir  ?"  exclaimed  George,  pricking  up  his  ears  and 
expecting  to  hear  a  defiance  which  would  lead  to  the  result 
that  he  wished  to  provoke. 

"  I  will  add,  with  great  pleasure,  that  if  unintentionally  I 
was  guilty  of  such  seeming  rudeness,  it  is  due  to  my  own 
character  and  to  your  feelings  that  I  should  ask  your  par- 
don." 

A  soft  answer  turneth  away  wrath.     George  was  too  much 
'  of  a  gentleman,  and  had  too  much  native  good-humour,  not 
to  be  reconciled   by  the  politeness  and  good  sense  of  these 
replies.     He  gave  his  hand  to  Fennimore,  and  then  walked 
up  and  doKn  for  some  time  in  great  embarrassment. 
10 


218  LEGEKDS   OF   THE    WEST. 

"  And  so  you  won't  quarrel  with  me  T  said  he,  at  last. 

"Not  willingly,  Mr.  Lee,"  replied  Mr.  Fennimore,  laugh- 
ing ;  "  I  have  seen  such  evidences  of  your  prowess  lately,  that 
I  would  much  rather  fight  by  your  side  than  against  you." 

^"  Would  you  do  me  a  favour,  Mr.  Fennimore  T' 
"    • "  With  a  great  deal  of  pleasure,  sir." 

"Then  just  insult  me,  if  you  please ;  say  any  thing  that 
I  can  ask  satisfaction  for ;  do  any  thing  that  I  can  take  offence 
at,  and  I  will  thank  you  as  long  as  I  live." 

"  I  am  sorry  I  cannot  gratify  you,  Mr.  Lee,"  replied 
Fennimore,  much  amused ;  "  but  really  I  like  you  too  well 
to  feel  any  desire  to  forfeit  your  friendship." 

"  Well,  if  you  will  do  nothing  else  to  oblige  me,  will  you 
go  to  the  woods,  and  let  us  shoot  at  each  other,  for  amuse- 
ment ?" 

"Excuse  me,  Mr.  Lee,"  replied  Fennimore,  in  the  best 
humour  possible. 

"  Tell  me  one  thing,  if  you  please,  sir,  and  I  have  done — 
are  you  in  love  with  Virginia  Pendleton  ?" 

"  How  shall  I  answer  you  ?"  replied  Fennimore ;  "  to  say 
I  am,  might  argue  presumption  ;  to  say  I  am  not,  would  show 
a  want  of  taste." 

"  Well,  sir,  allow  me  to  put  you  on  your  guard.  It  is 
useless  to  court  her.  She  will  not  have  you.  I  have  been 
courting  her  these  ten  years,  and  have  offered  myself  fifty 
times.  It  is  perfectly  useless,  sir,  to  court  her.  I  know  her 
well — she  is  determined  not  to  marry.  She  is  the  finest  wo- 
man ever  raised  in  Virginia — but  she  will  not  marry  any 
man — I  have  ascertained  that." 

"  I  thank  you,  Mr.  Lee,  for  your  friendly  warning ;  and 
should  I  be  unsuccessful,  I  shall  recollect  that  I  have  ventured 
contrary  to  a  friend's  advice." 

"Recollect  another  thing,  if  you  please,  sir— I  have  a  prior 
claim  to  that  lady's  affection,  which  I  will  maintain  at  the  risk 
of  my  life." 


HARPE'S    HEAD.  219  ' 

"Nay,  but,  Mr.  Lee " 

"  Excuse  me,  sir, — I  have  made  up  my  mind  on  that 
point ;  any  man  who  marries  Virginia  Pendleton  must  fight 
me  first." 

So  saying,  Mr.  George  Lee  walked  oft*  leaving  Fennimore 
a  little  provoked,  and  very  much  amused ;  though,  upon  re- 
flection, he  felt  only  sympathy  for  this  amiable  young  man, 
who,  with  an  excellent  heart  and  the  most  gentlemanly  feel- 
ings, was  betrayed  by  the  weakness  of  his  intellect  and  his 
perseverance  in  a  hopeless  passion  into  the  most  extravagant 
absurdities. 


•  * "* 


••* 


220  LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 


\ 
CHAPTBE   XXV. 


niHE  Harpes  had  heretofore  escaped  punishment  in  conse- 
-•-  quence  of  a  variety  of  peculiar  circumstances.  The 
scene  of  their  barbarities  was  still  almost  a  wilderness,  and  a 
variety  of  cares  pressed  on  the  people.  The  spoils  of  their 
dreadful  warfare  furnished  them  with  the  means  of  violence 
and  of  escape.  Mounted  on  fine  horses,  they  plunged  into 
the  forest,  eluded  pursuit  by  frequently  changing  their  course, 
and  appeared  unexpectedly,  to  perpetrate  new  enormities,  at 
places  far  distant  from  those  where  they  were  supposed  to 
lurk.  More  than  once  were  the  people  lulled  into  security 
and  the  pursuit  of  the  ruffians  abandoned  by  the  supposition 
that  they  had  entirely  disappeared  from  the  country — when 
the  conflagration  of  a  solitary  cabin,  and  the  murder  of  all  its 
inmates,  awakened  the  whole  community  to  lively  sensations 
of  fear,  and  horror,  and  indignation. 

Miss  Pendleton  heard  of  these  atrocities  with  shuddering. 
Thrice  had  she  seen  one  of  these  assassins,  under  circumstances 
calculated  to  excite  the  most  dreadful  apprehensions.  On 
each  occasion  his  hand  was  raised  against  her  life,  and  his 
malignant  scowl  seemed  to  announce  the  existence  of  some 
deadly  feud  against  her.  But  why  she  should  thus  be  an  ob- 
ject of  vengeance  and  pursuit,  she  was  totally  unable  to  dis- 
cover, or  even  conjecture. 

In  the  meanwhile,  the  outrages  of  these  murderers  had 
not  escaped  public  notice,  nor  were  they  tamely  submitted 


HARPE'S   HEAD.  221 

to.  The  governor  of  Kentucky  had  offered  a  reward  for  their 
heads,  and  parties  of  volunteers  had  pursued  them  ;  they  had 
been  so  fortunate  as  to  escape  punishment  by  their  cunning, 
but  had  not  the  prudence  to  fly  the  country  or  to  desist  from 
their  crimes, 

On  the  morning  after  these  wretches  had  been  seen  by 
Mr.  George  Lee,  the  intelligence  arrived  of  their  having  mur- 
dered a  woman  and  all  her  children.  The  vengeance  of  the 
whole  community  was  now  roused  to  the  highest  pitch,  and 
it  was  determined  to  raise  parties  and  hunt  down  the  mur- 
derers. Horsemen  were  seen  traversing  the  woods  in  every 
direction,  eagerly  beating  up  all  the  coverts,  and  examining 
every  suspicious  place  where  it  was  supposed  the  outlaws 
might  lurk. 

A  man  named  Leiper,  who  had  some  renown  as  an  active 
and  successful  hunter,  and  who  was  both  muscular  and  brave, 
headed  a  small  party.  The  ruffians  were  encamped  in  the 
woods,  at  an  obscure  wild  spot,  distant  from  any  habitation ; 
and  were  seated  on  the  ground,  surrounded  by  their  women 
and  children,  when  the  hunters  came  so  suddenly  upon  them, 
that  they  had  only  time  to  fly  in  different  directions.  Micajah 
Harpe,  the  larger  of  the  two  brothers,  sprung  upon  a  fine 
blooded  horse,  that  he  had  taken  from  a  traveller  but  a  day  or 
two  before,  and  dashed  off,  pursued  by  the  whole  party ; 
while  his  brother,  not  having  time  to  mount,  stole  silently 
away  among  the  brushwood,  and  escaped  notice. 

Micajah,  who  was  kept  in  view  by  the  pursuers,  spurred 
forward  the  noble  animal  on  which  he  was  mounted,  and  which, 
already  jaded,  began  to  fail  at  the  end  of  five  or  six  miles. 
The  chase  was  long  and  hot,  and  the  miscreant  continued  to 
press  forward ;  for  although  his  pursuers  had  one  by  one 
dropped  in  the  rear,  until  none  of  them  were  in  sight  but 
Leiper,  he  was  not  willing  to  risk  a  combat  with  a  man  so 
strong,  and  bolder  than  himself,  who  was  animated  by  a  noble 
spirit  of  indignation  against  a  shocking  and  unmanly  outrage. 


222  LEGENDS   OF   THE  WEST. 

Leiper  \ras  mounted  on  a  horse  of  celebrated  powers,  which 
he  had  borrowed  from  the  owner  for  this  occasion.  At  the 
beginning  of  the  chase  he  had  pressed  his  charger  to  the 
height  of  his  speed,  carefully  keeping  on  the  track  of  Harpe, 
of  whom  he  sometimes  caught  a  glimpse  as  he  ascended  the. 
hills,  and  again  lost  sight  of  him  in  the  valleys  and  the  brush. 
But  as  he  gained  on  the  foe,  and  became  sure  of  his  victim, 
he  slackened  his  pace,  cocked  his  rifle,  and  deliberately  pur- 
sued, sometimes  calling  upon  the  outlaw  to  surrender. 

It  was  an  animating,  but  fearful  sight,  to  behold  two  pow- 
erful and  desperately  bold  men,  armed,  and  mounted  on 
gallant  steeds,  pursuing  each  other  so  closely  as  to  render  it 
almost  certain  that  a  mortal  struggle  must  soon  ensue.  At 
length  Harpe's  horse,  having  strained  all  his  powers  in  leap- 
ing a  ravine,  received  an  injury  which  obliged  him  to  slacken 
his  pace,  and  Leiper  overtook  him.  Both  were  armed  with 
rifles.  When  near  enough  to  fire  with  certainty,  Leiper 
stopped,  took  deliberate  aim,  and  shot  the  retreating  ruffian 
through  the  body  ;  the  latter,  turning  in  his  saddle,  levelled 
his  piece,  which  missed  fire,  and  he  dashed  it  to  the  ground, 
swearing  that  it  was  the  first  time  it  had  ever  deceived 
him.  He  then  drew  a  tomahawk,  and  waited  the  approach 
of  Leiper,  who,  nothing  daunted,  drew  his  long  hunting-knife, 
and  rushed  upon  his  desperate  foe,  grappled  with  him,  hurled 
him  to  the  ground,  and  wrested  the  weapon  from  his  grasp. 
The  prostrate  wretch,  exhausted  with  the  loss  of  blood,  con- 
quered, but  unsubdued  in  spirit,  now  lay  passive  at  the  feet 
of  his  adversary 

Leiper  was  a  humane  man,  easy,  slow-spoken,  and  not 
quickly  excited,  but  a  thorough  soldier  when  his  ^energies 
were  aroused  into  action.  Without  insulting  the  expiring 
criminal  he  questioned  him  as  to  the  motives  of  his  late 
atrocities.  The  murderer  attempted  not  to  palliate  or  deny 
them,  and  confessed  that  he  had  been  actuated  by  no  other 
inducement  than  a  settled  hatred  of  his  species,  whom  he  had 


H  A  R  p  E  '  s   HEAD.  223 

sworn  to  destroy  without  distinction,  in  revenge  for  so.ne 
fancied  injury.  He  expressed  no  regret  for  his  bloody  deeds, 
lie  acknowledged  that  he  had  amassed  large  sums  of  money, 
and  described  some  of  the  places  of  concealment;  but  as 
none  was  ever  discovered,  it  is  presumed  he  did  not  declare 
the  truth.  Leiper  had  fired  at  Harpe  several  times  during 
the  chase,  and  wounded  him  ;  and  when  Harpe  was  asked 
why,  when  he  found  Leiper  pursuing  him  alone,  he  did  not 
dismount  and  take  a  tree,  from  behind  which  he  could  have 
inevitably  shot  him  as  he  approached,  he  replied  that  he  had 
supposed  there  was  not  a  horse  in  the  country  equal  to  the 
one  he  rode,  and  that  he  was  confident  of  making  his  escape. 
He  thought  also  that  the  pursuit  would  be  less  eager,  so  long 
as  he  abstained  from  shedding  the  blood  of  his  pursuers.  On 
the  arrival  of  the  rest  of  the  party  the  wretch  was  dispatched, 
and  his  head  severed  from  his  body.  This  bloody  trophy  was 
then  carried  to  the  nearest  magistrate,  before  whom  it  was 
proved  to  be  the  head  of  Micajah  Harpe  ;  after  which  it  was 
placed  in  the  fork  of  a  tree,  where  it  long  remained  a  revolt- 
ing object  of  horror.  The  spot  is  still  called  Ha.rpe's  Head, 
and  the  public  road  which  passes  near  it  is  called  the  Harpe's 
Head  Road. 

Colonel  Hendrickson  and  his  friends  had  ridden  out  to 
join  in  the  pursuit,  and  had  been  scouring  the  forest  some 
hours  when  they  met  a  party  who  informed  them  of  the 
death  of  Harpe,  and  they  turned  their  horses'  heads  home- 
wards. They  were  passing  over  a  high  but  level  tract  of 
country,  whose  surface  was  undulated  by  gradual  swells  and 
covered  with  a  thick  growth  of  timber ;  to  their  right  was  a 
hilly,  broken  tract,  called  "  The  Knobs?  in  which  these  vil- 
lains had  often,  harboured.  In  front  of  them  was  a  region  of 
open,  brushy  land,  destitute  of  trees,  and  which  seemed  to 
have  been  lately  a  wild  prairie,  with  no  other  covering  but 
grass.  Mr.  Lee,"whose  feelings  seemed  to  be  less  social  than 
usual,  was  riding  by  himself  in  advance  of  the  party  ;  when 


224  LEGENDS    OF    THE    WEST. 

at  a  spot  where  two  roads  crossed  he  was  surprised  to  see 
Hark  Short  leaning  against  a  tree  in  an  attitude  of  fixed 
attention.  He  was  so  completely  absorbed  as  not  to  be  at 
all  conscious  of  the  approach  of  Mr.  Lee,  until  the  latter  spoke 
to  him. 

"  What's  the  matter,  Hark  ?"  said  he :  "  have  you  found  a 
big  rattlesnake  ?" 

Hark  started  as  he  heard  the  voice,  and  looked  timidly 
round.  His  features,  usually  melancholy,  now  wore  an  ex- 
pression of  fear  and  horror.  Without  answering  the  ques- 
tions of  Mr.  Lee,  he  raised  his  eyes  wildly ;  and  George 
looking  upward  in  the  direction  indicated  by  the  glance  of 
the  boy,  beheld  the  bleeding  head  of  Harpe !  For  a  moment 
he  felt  his  own  faculties  bewildered,  and  a  shuddering  sensa- 
tion crept  over  him  as  he  gazed  at  this  shocking  spectacle ; 
but  a  recollection  of  the  crimes  of  the  delinquent  who  had 
been  punished  in  this  summary  manner  changed  the  current 
of  his  feelings,  and  he  exclaimed  sharply, 

"  Is  the  boy  mad  ? — is  it  so  strange  a  thing  that  a  murderer 
should  be  put  to  death  ?" 

Hark  only  groaned  and  looked  perplexed. 

"  This  wretch  was  an  acquaintance  of  yours,  it  seems — 
you  appear  so  much  concerned  about  him  that  I  am  inclined 
to  have  you  taken  up  as  an  accomplice." 

"  No,  don't — don't,  if  you  please,  stranger,"  exclaimed 
Hark. 

"  Then  tell  me  why  you  seem  so  much  interested  in  the 
death  of  that  murderer." 

"  Who — that  gentleman  ?"  inquired  Hark  stupidly,  point- 
ing to  the  mangled  relic. 

"  Yes,  that  miscreant,  who  has  been  put  to  death  for  his 
crimes, — what  do  you  know  about  him  ?" 

"  Well,  I  don't  know  nothen  in  petidclar?'1 

The  other  gentlemen  now  rode  up,  and  on  learning  the 
subject  of  conversation  insisted  that  the  boy  should  disclose 


HARPE'S   HEAD.  225 

all  the  particulars  that  he  knew  respecting  the  ruffians,  of 
whose  history  little  was  known. 

"  I  never  saw  that  gentleman,"  said  Hark,  "  till  since  I 
came  out  here  to  Kentuck." 

"  But  I  understand,"  replied  Colonel  Hendrickson,  "  that 
a  lad  who  I  have  reason  to  believe  was  yourself  assisted  these 
ruffians  in  escaping  when  arrested  some  weeks  ago,  and  went 
off  with  them." 

"  Anan  !"  exclaimed  the  lad. 

Colonel  Hendrickson  repeated,  and  explained  what  he  had 
said. 

"  'Spose  I  did  cut  the  strings — was  there  any  harm  in 
that  ?" 

"  Certainly — aiding  in  the  escape  of  a  prisoner  is  a  crim- 
inal offence ;  and  it  is  my  duty  as  a  magistrate  to  bring  you 
to  punishment  for  it." 

"  Would  you  punish  me  for  cutting  the  strings  when  the 
Indians  had  you  tied  to  the  pole  to  be  roasted  1" 

This  was  an  appeal  which  was  not  easily  parried.  The 
Colonel  acknowledged  his  obligations  to  Hark,  and  at  once 
disclaimed  any  intention  of  arresting  him,  but  on  the  contrary 
offered  him  his  protectien. 

"  And  now,"  said  he,  "  I  want  you  to  tell  me  all  that  you 
know  about  Harpe." 

"  Will  you  let  me  go  arter  that  ?" 

"  Yes." 

"  Won't  you  beat  me  afore  you  turn  me  loose  ?" 

"No,  my  lad,  nobody  shall  touch  you.  You  did  me  a 
good  turn  at  the  risk  of  your  life,  and  I  will  repay  it  at  the 
risk  of  mine,  if  necessary." 

»  Well — I  never  seed  Harpe,  as  I  know  on,  in  peticklar, 
till  that  night." 

"  Had  you  never  heard  of  him  ?" 

«  Well — not  in  peticklar— only  what  mammy  said." 

"What  did  she  say?" 
10* 


£23  LEGENDS    or   THE    WEST. 

"  She  told  me  'Kage  Harpe  was  a  powerful  bad  man.  She 
•used  to  get  mad  and  curse- him  a  hour." 

"  Did  she  ever  tell  you  any  thing  that  he  did  ?" 

"  Not  in  peticklar— only  that  he  killed  every  body  that  he 
got  mad  at— and  that  he  would  kill  her  and  me  if  he  got  a 
chance." 

"  Why  should  we  wish  to  kill  your  mother?" 

"  I  axed  her  that  myself,  but  she  wouldn't  tell  me." 

"  Why  then  did  you  release  Harpe,  when  you  saw  him  for 
the  first  time  in  custody  1" 

"  I  couldn't  help  it." 

"  Why  not  ?  Come,  tell  us  all  about  it — nobody  shall 
hurt  you." 

«  Well— Harpe  told  me  that  he  was  my  father  !" 

"And  then  you  cut  him  loose?" 

"  Yes — wouldn't  you  cut  your  daddy  loose,  if  any  body 
had  him  tied  ?" 

"  Hark,"  said  George  Lee,  "  you  must  go  with  me  to  Vir- 
ginia, and  live  with  me — I  will  take  care  of  you." 

"  I  reckon  I  can't  go." 

"Why  not?" 

"  'Cause  I  don't  want  to." 

"  Would  you  not  like  to  live  in  a  fine  house,  and  have 
plenty  to  eat,  and  nothing  to  do  ?" 

"  I  don't  like  to  live  in  houses." 

"  You  don't !  what  is  your  objection  ?" 

"  Well — I  can't  say  in  peticklar — only  I'd  rather  live  in 
the  woods.  I  can  do  just  as  I  please  in  the  woods,  and  be  as 
happy  as  a  tree-frog." 

So  saying,  Hark  began  to  move  off.  He  cast  a  look  of 
terror  towards  the  remains  of  his  inhuman  parent,  as  he  re- 
tired. It  was  not  affection,  nor  regret  which  chained  his 
glance  to  this  revolting  object;  but  a  kind  of  instinct — a 
superstitious  reverence  for  the  only  remaining  being  whoso 
blood  was  kindred  to  his  own,  mingled  with  a  dread  of  human 


HARFJK'S   HEAD.  227 

punishments,  that  seemed  to  have  been  instilled  into  him  in 
infancy,  and  which  \vas  the  master-spring  of  all  his  actions. 
lie  quickened  his  pace  on  finding  himself  at  liberty,  walked 
vapidly  away,  and  never  was  seen  again  in  that  region  ;  nor  is  it 
known,  with  any  certainty,  whatever  became  of  Hark  Short, 
the  sjiake-killer.  It  is  most  probable  that  he  perished  in  the 
wilderness;  although  it  is  altogether  possible  that  he  may 
still  be  killing  reptiles  on  some  distant  frontier  of  our  vast 
country. 

A  company  of  people  now  arrived,  who  had  in  their  pos- 
session a  number  of  articles  which  had  been  found  in  the 
camp  of  the  Harpes.  Among  the  rest  was  a  small  tin  case, 
which  was  filled  with  papers.  Mr.  Fennimore  having  hastily 
looked  over  this,  expressed  a  wish  to  examine  it  more  at  his 
leisure  ;  and  it  was  accordingly  placed  in  his  charge.  The 
fatigued  woodsmen  separated,  and  Colonel  Hendrickson  con- 
ducted his  friends  once  more  to  his  hospitable  mansion. 

Their  arrival  was  joyfully  welcomed  by  the  family,  who 
had  been  under  great  apprehensions  during  their  absence. 
Miss  Pendleton,  though  much  shocked  at  some  of  the  par- 
ticulars which  they  related,  could  not  but  feel  relieved  when 
she  heard  that  the  enemy  of  her  peace  was  no  more.  Fen- 
nimore, who  had  concealed  from  his  friends,  as  they  rode  home, 
an  interesting  discovery  which  he  had  made,  advanced  to  her 
with  a  face  beaming  with  joy,  and,  presenting  to  her  a  parch- 
ment, remarked, 

"  I  am  happy,  Miss  Pendleton,  to  have  it  in  my  power  to 
restore  to  you  this  document.  It  is  the  will  of  my  uncle 
Heyward,  and  places  you  in  full  possession  of  all  his  estate. 
Allow  me  to  congratulate  you  on  your  good  fortune." 

"  I  do  not  know,  Mr.  Fennimore,  whether  I  ought  to  accept 
the  bounty  of  my  uncle,  which,  by  making  me  rich,  deprives 
you  of  your  natural  inheritance." 

"  Happily  for  us  both,"  replied  the  officer,  "  that  is  a  ques- 
tion which  need  not  now  be  argued  ;  Major  Heyward,  who 


228  LEGENDS   OF   THE  WEST. 

had  the  undoubted  right  to  dispose  of  his  own  property,  has 
made  the  decision,  and  we  have  only  to  acquiesce." 

Mrs.  Hendrickson,  who  seldom  spoke  except  when  spoken 
to,  but  who,  with  the  sagacity  peculiar  to  her  sex  in  matters 
relating  to  the  heart,  had  made  some  shrewd  observations  on 
the  deportment  of  these  young  people  towards  each  other, 
now  remarked  in  her  quiet  way, 

"  If  there  is  any  difficulty  about  the  property,  perhaps  you 
had  as  well  let  me  keep  that  instrument  until  you  can  devise 
some  plan  for  holding  the  estate  jointly." 

Virginia  blushed  deeply ;  and  Fennimore,  very  gaily, 
handed  the  parchment  to  Mrs.  Hendrickson. 

"  On  those  terms,  madam,"  said  he,  "  I  most  cheerfully 
deposit  this  document  in  your  keeping,  and  shall,  on  my  part, 
submit  the  controversy  to  your  decision." 

George  Lee,  when  he  heard  that  the  will  was  found,  danced 
and  capered  about  the  room  like  a  boy,  wished  his  cousin 
Virginia  joy  a  hundred  times,  and  shook  Fennimore  cordially 
by  the  hand,  swearing  that  he  was  the  cleverest  fellow  in  all 
Kentucky  ;  but  when  he  saw  what  he  considered  proof  posi- 
tive that  Fennimore  was  a  successful  candidate  for  the  hand 
of  her  who  had  so  long  been  the  object  of  his  affections,  he 
left  the  room,  and  began  to  make  immediate  preparations  for 
his  return  to  his  native  State. 


HARPE'S   HEAD.  229 


CHAPTER   XXVI. 

THE      CONCLUSION. 

SEVERAL  years  had  passed  away  since  the  occurrence  of 
the  events  recorded  in  the  preceding  pages.  Captain 
Fennimore  and  the  fair  Virginia  had  been  married,  and  were 
residing  near  to  Colonel  Hendrickson.  William  Colburn  was 
united  to  the  Colonel's  only  daughter,  and  was  settled  in  the 
neighbourhood ;  and  as  no  evidence  to  the  contrary  is  before 
us,  we  are  authorized  in  believing  that  both  these  couples 
were  enjoying  the  most  uninterrupted  matrimonial  felicity. 

The  best  friends,  however,  must  sometimes  part ;  and 
Captain  Fennimore  found  it  necessary  to  leave  his  pleasant 
home  and  his  agreeable  wife  to  attend  to  the  affairs  of  their 
joint  estate  in  Virginia.  The  farm  formerly  occupied  by 
Major  Hey  ward  was  rented  out,  but  the  tenant  had  erected  a 
house  on  a  part  of  the  land  distant  from  the  spot  where  the 
former  mansion  had  stood.  Captain  Fennimore  feeling  a 
desire  to  revisit  the  place  where  his  uncle  had  resided  and 
his  wife  had  grown  up  from  infancy  to  maturity,  rode  over 
one  day  to  the  ruins  of  the  old  house.  The  lane  was  still 
kept  open,  but  was  grown  up  with  weeds  and  briers.  The 
lawn  around  the  house  preserved  something  of  its  former 
verdure  and  beauty,  but  the  garden  was  overrun  with  bushes, 
whose  wild  and  tangled  limbs  were  strangely  mingled  with 
the  remains  of  a  variety  of  rare  and  ornamental  shrubs.  In- 
digenous thorns  and  domestic  fruits  grew  side  by  side,  and  wild 


230  LEGENDSOF   THE    WEST. 

flowers  mingled  their  blossoms  with  those  of  exotic  plants. 
There  is  nothing  so  melancholy  as  such  a  scene,  where  luxury 
and  art  are  beheld  in  ruin,  and  their  remains  revive  the  recol- 
lection of  departed  pleasures.  There  has  always  seemed  to 
me  to  be  something  peculiarly  desolate  in  the  appearance  of 
a  deserted  garden,  where  the  spot  once  adorned  with  taste, 
and  cultivated  with  assiduous  care,  has  been  suffered  to  run 
into  wilderness.  Nowhere  are  the  efforts  of  nature  and  art 
so  harmoniously  blended  as  in  the  garden  ;  nowhere  does  em- 
bellishment seem  so  appropriate  or  labour  so  productive. 
There  is  something  quiet,  and  innocent,  and  peaceful  about 
the  beauties  of  a  garden  that  interests  the  heart,  at  the  same 
time  that  the  senses  reap  enjoyment. 

While  Captain  Fennimore  was  strolling  pensively  about, 
he  discovered  a  horseman  riding  up  the  avenue  towards  the 
same  place.  On  reaching  the  large  gate  which  opened  into 
the  lawn,  the  person  halted,  and  remained  sitting  on  his  horse. 
Fennimore  supposing  that  it  might  be  some  one  who  had 
business  with  himself,  walked  slowly  towards  the  gate ;  but 
before  he  reached  it,  and  while  concealed  from  the  stranger 
by  a  cluster  of  bushes,  he  was  surprised  to  hear  the  voice  of 
the  latter,  as  if  in  conversation  with  another  person. 

"She  is  not  at  home,  eh  ?"  said  the  voice  ;  "  well,  tell  her 
I  called,  boy,  d'ye  hear? — tell  her  Mr.  George  Lee  called." 

Fennimore,  curious  to  know  to  whom  Mr.  Lee  was  speak- 
ing, advanced  a  few  steps  so  as  to  see  without  being  exposed 
himself;  and  was  surprised  to  find  that  no  person  was  within 
sight  but  themselves.  Mr.  Lee  was  mounted  on  a  fine  horse, 
and  completely  armed  with  a"  sword,  a  pair  of  large  pistols, 
and  a  rifle.  He  wore  his  father's  revolutionary  uniform  coat, 
buff  waistcoat,  and  cocked  hat,  and,  thus  accoutred,  formed  an 
imposing  figure.  His  countenance  wore  the  blush  of  habitual 
intemperance,  together  with  the  mingled  wildness  and  stu- 
pidity of  partial  derangement.  After  sitting  silent  for  a  few 
minutes,  he  drew  his  sword  and  exclaimed, 


HARPE'S  HEAD.  231 

"  Gentlemen,  I  pronounce  Virginia  Pendleton  to  be  the 
most  beautiful  woman  ever  raised  in  the  Old  Dominion,  and 
I  am  ready  to  make  good  my  words.  You  understand  me, 
gentlemen  !  There  she  sits  at  her  window— she  has  made  a 
TOW  that  she  will  never  marry,  and  I  stand  here  prepared  to 
cut  any  gentleman's  throat  who  shall  dare  to  pay  her  his  ad- 
dresses. Gentlemen,  shall  we  hunt  to-morrow  ?  Pass  that 
bottle,  if  you  please,  Mr.  Jones — no  heeltaps.  My  cc/mpli- 
ments  to  Miss  Pendleton,  boy,  d'ye  hear  ?  and  tell  her  \  called 
to  inquire  after  her  health." 

Then  drawing  himself  up,  he  saluted  with  his  sword,  and 
sheathed  it,  took  off  his  hat,  bowed  towards  the  spot  where 
the  house  had  been,  and  kissed  his  hand  ;  after  which  he 
wheeled  his  horse  about,  and  rode  with  a  slow  and  stately 
pace  down  the  avenue. 

Poor  George  !  he  had  fallen  a  victim  to  the  evil  example 
of  an  intemperate  father  and  the  intrigues  of  an  ambitious 
mother.  With  a  heart  tenderly  alive  to  the  best  charities  of 
human  nature,  and  a  disposition  easily  moulded  to  the  pur- 
poses of  those  with  whom  he  associated,  he  might  readily 
have  been  trained  to  respectability  and  usefulness,  and  al- 
though he  could  never  have  become  a  brilliant  man,  he  might 
have  been  what  is  far  more  important,  an  amiable  and  worthy 
citizen.  But  his  weak  intellect,  assailed  by  the  seductions  of 
pleasure  on  the  one  hand,  and  by  dazzling  schemes  of  ambi- 
tion on  the  other,  became  unsettled,  and  at  last  totally  de- 
stroyed. His  vigorous  constitution  enabled  him  long  to  out- 
live the  wreck  of  his  mind,  and  he  continued  for  many  years 
to  visit  the  ruins  of  Major  Hey  ward's  mansion,  dressed  in  the 
fantastic  habiliments  which  we  have  described.  He  remem- 
bered nothing  which  occurred  after  his  ill-starred  journey  to 
the  frontier  ;  and  the  events  of  his  early  life  were  mixed  up 
in  his  memory  in  the  most  singular  confusion.  He  continued 
to  be  the  devoted  lover  of  Virginia  Pendleton,  and  nothing 
ever  ruffled  hi.s  temper  except  the.  mention  of  her  marriage, 


232  LEGENDS    OF    THE    WEST. 

which  he  always  denied  with  indignation,  as  an  insult  to  her 
and  himself;  while  the  recollections  of  his  early  love  were 
mingled  with  visions  of  bacchanalian  orgies,  and  with  hideous 
dreams  of  bloody  encounters  with  the  savages.  Many  years 
afterwards,  when  his  cheeks  were  furrowed  and  his  hair  gray 
with  premature  old  age,  he  might  be  still  seen,  mounted  on 
his  sleek  hunter,  clad  in  his  ancient  uniform,  with  his  hair 
powdered  and  his  long  queue  neatly  tied,  riding  with  stately 
grace  every  day  along  the  old  avenue,  paying  his  imaginary 
morning  visit  to  the  idol  of  his  heart.  He  was  followed  by 
an  old  negro  valet,  as  gray  and  nearly  as  stately  as  himself, 
who  humoured  all  the  fancies  of  his  master,  until  it  was  sup- 
posed that  the  faithful  black  began  to  be  tinctured  with  the 
madness  which  he  had  affectionately  humoured,  and  spoke  of 
Miss  Virginia  Pendleton  with  the  most  unaffected  gravity, 
long  after  that  lady  was  the  mother  of  a  numerous  and  thriv- 
ing colony  of  young  Kentuckians. 

Mrs.  Lee  mourned  over  the  disappointment  of  all  her 
hopes  in  the  bitterness  of  unavailing  repentance.  When  our 
errors  affect  only  ourselves,  the  pang  of  remorse  may  be  borne 
with  patience  j  but  when  they  have  extended  to  those  we  love, 
and  our  own  conviction  comes  too  late  to  restore  peace  to  the 
bosoms  we  have  ruined,  the  cup  of  wretchedness  is  fatally 
poisoned  for  the  remainder  of  a  miserable  life.  She  never 
smiled,  and  was  never  seen  to  weep,  and  bore  the  sufferings 
which  only  a  woman's  love  can  know,  with  a  dignified  resig- 
nation, of  which  woman's  fortitude  is  alone  capable. 


PART    SECOND. 


. 


3-   •  •  '  *^*t  ' 


CONTENTS. 


*. 

I.  THE  BACKWOODSMAN, 287 

II.  THE  DIVINING  EOD, 267 

III.  THE  SEVENTH  SON, 287 

IV.  THE  MISSIONARIES,  .        : 809 

V.  THE  INDIAN  WIFE'S  LAMENT, 817 

VI.  A  LEGEND  OF  CARONDELET,    .......  821 

VII.  THE  INTESTATE, 837 

VIU.  MICHEL  DE  Coucr, 851 

IX.  THE  EMIGRANTS, 869 

X.  THE  BARRACK-MASTER'S  DAUOHTEB, 403 

XL  THE  ISLE  OF  THE  YELLOW  SANDS, 433 


m 


THE  BACKWOODSMAN. 


fTlHE  beautiful  forests  of  Kentucky,  when  first  visited  by  the 
-•-  adventurous  footsteps  of  the  pioneers,  presented  a  scene 
of  native  luxuriance,  such  as  has  seldom  been  witnessed  by 
the  human  eye.  So  vast  a  body  of  fertile  soil  had  never  be- 
fore been  known  to  exist  on  this  continent.  The  magnificent 
forest  trees  attained  a  gigantic  height,  and  were  adorned  with 
a  foliage  of  unrivalled  splendour.  The  deep  rich  green  of 
the  leaves,  and  the  brilliant  tints  of  the  flowers,  nourished 
into  full  maturity  of  size  and  beauty  by  the  extraordinary 
fertility  of  the  soil,  not  only  attracted  the  admiration  of  the 
hunter,  but  warmed  the  fancy  of  the  poet,  and  forcibly  ar- 
rested the  attention  of  the  naturalist. 

As  the  pioneers  proceeded,  step  by  step,  new  wonders 
were  discovered ;  and  the  features  of  the  country,  together 
with  its  productions,  as  they  became  gradually  developed, 
continued  to  present  the  same  bold  peculiarities  and  broad 
outlines.  The  scale  of  greatness  pervaded  all  the  works  of 
nature.  The  noble  rivers,  all  tending  towards  one  great  estu- 
ary, swept  through  an  almost  boundless  extent  of  country, 
and  seemed  to  be  as  infinite  in  number  as  they  were  grand  in 
size.  The  wild  animals  were  innumerable.  The  forest 


238  LEGENDS    OF   THE    WEST. 

teemed  with  living  creatures,  for  this  was  the  paradise  of  the 
brute  creation.  Here  were  literally  "the  cattle  upon  a 
thousand  hills."  The  buffalo,  the  elk,  and  the  deer  roamed 
in  vast  herds,  and  all  the  streams  were  rich  in  those  animals 
whose  fur  is  so  much  esteemed  in  commerce.  Here  lurked 
the  solitary  panther,  the  lion  of  our  region,  and  here  prowled 
the  savage  wolf.  The  nutritious  fruits  of  the  forest  and  the 
juicy  buds  of  the  exuberant  thickets  reared  the  indolent 
bear  to  an  enormous  size.  Even  the  bowels  of  the  earth  ex- 
hibited stupendous  evidences  of  the  master  hand  of  creation. 
The  great  limestone  beds  of  the  country  were  perforated 
with  spacious  caverns  of  vast  extent  and  splendid  appear- 
ance, many  of  which  yielded  valuable  minerals ;  while  the 
gigantic  bones  found  buried  in  the  earth,  far  exceeding  in  size 
those  of  all  known  animals  on  the  globe,  attested  the  former 
existence  in  this  region  of  brutes  of  fearful  magnitude. 

Such  were  the  discoveries  of  the  first  adventurers ;  such 
the  inducement  which  allured  them  onward,  and  inclined  them 
to  linger  in  these  solitudes,  enduring  the  severest  privations, 
and  beset  by  dangers  which  might  have  shaken  the  firmest 
manhood.  But  the  pioneers  were  men  whose  characters  were 
not  now  to  be  formed  in  the  school  of  adversity  or  danger. 
They  were  the  borderers  already  trained  to  war  and  the 
chase  upon  the  extensive  frontiers  of  our  country  ;  men  cra- 
dled in  the  forest,  and  accustomed  from  their  infancy  to  the 
bay  of  the  prowling  wolf  and  the  jell  of  the  hostile  Indian. 
Trained  to  athletic  sports  and  martial  exercises,  their  military 
propensities  were  cherished  throughout  their  whole  lives,  and 
became  engrafted  in  their  nature.  Martial  habits  mingled  in 
all  their  rural  pursuits.  If  they  travelled  orwalked_jibroad, 
it  was  with  the  wary  step  and  jealous  vigilance  of  the  Indian  : 
with  an  eye  continually  glancing  into  every  thicTtetpand  an 
ear  prepared  to  catch  the  slightest  alarm  of  danger.  They 
slept  upon  their  arms,  and  carried  their  rifles  to  the  harvest- 
field,  to  the  marriage-feast,  and  to  the  house  of  worship. 


THE    BACKWOODSMAN.  239 

Simple,  honest,  and  inoffensive  in  their  manners,  kind  and 
just  to  each  other,  they  were  intrepid,  fierce,  and  vindictive 
in  war.  Under  an  appearance  of  apathy,  with  a  gait  of  ap- 
parent indolence,  and  with  careless  habits,  they  were  muscu- 
lar and  hardy,  patient  of  fatigue,  ardent  in  their  temperament, 
warm-hearted  and  hospitable.  They  were  the  borderers  of. 
Virginia  and  North  Carolina,  vijberg  they  had  long  formed  a 
rampart  between  the  less  warlike  inhabitants  and  the  savage 
jtrtbes.  In  the  war  of  the  revolution  they  had  engaged  with 
ardour ;  but  while  the  acknowledgement  of  our  national  inde- 
pendence brought  peace  to  the  rest  of  our  country,  it  left  the 
frontiers  still  embroiled  with  the  savages. 

The  backwoodsmen,  therefore,  when  they  first  emigrated 
into  the  western  forests,  had  not  to  learn  the  rude  arts  of 
sylvan  life,  nor  to  study  the  habits  of  the  Indian  and  the 
beast  of  prey.  These  were  enemies  with  whom  they  had 
long  been  familiar,  and  with  whom  they  delighted  to  cope. 

They  lived  in  cabins  hastily  erected  for  temporary  shelter, 
and  as  hastily  abandoned  when  a  slight  allurement  at  some 
distant  spot  invited  them  to  change  their  residence.  Their 
personal  effects  were  of  course  few,  and  their  domestic  uten- 
sils rude  and  simple.  Their  horses,  their  rifles,  and  their 
herds,  constituted  their  wealth  ;  and  with  these  they  were 
prepared  at  a  moment's  warning  to  push  farther  into  the  wil- 
derness, selling  their  habitations  for  a  mere  trifle,  or  abaadon- 
ing  them  to  any  chance  occupant  who  might  choose  to  take 
possession,  and  conquering  for  themselves  a  new  home  from 
the  panther  and  the  Indian. 

In  the  settlement  of  Kentucky,  the  pioneers  emigrated 
singly,  or  in  small  parties.  Unused  to  congregate  in  large 
bodies,  unless  on  special  occasions,  and  unaccustomed  to  mili- 
tary discipline,  they  chose  to  rely  for  defence  on  their  own 
^personal  courage  and  vigilance.  The  boldest  went  foremost, 
traversed  the  country  fearlessly,  and  having  selected  the 
choicest  spots,  however  remote  from  other  settlements,  built 


LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 


240 

their  cabins,  surrounded  them  with  palisades  to  protect  them 
from  the  Indians,  and  set  all  enemies  at  defiance.  Others  fol- 
lowed and  settled  around  them,  forming  little  communities, 
detached  from  each  other,  and  each  organized  independently, 
for  its  own  defence ;  and  it  was  not  until  these  insulated  set- 
tlements extended  so  as  to  come  into  contiguity,  that  the  arm 
of  government  was  felt  and  the  mild  operation  of  law  dif- 
fused. In  the  mean  while  the  vast  deserts  by  which  they 
were  separated  retained  their  pristine  wildness,  traversed  in 
common  by  the  Backwoodsman  and  the  Indian,  who  never 
met  without  a  conflict,  which  was  usually  of  the  most  exter- 
minating character. 

The  ferocity  of  the  Indian  was  not  likely  to  be  tamed,  nor 
his'animosity  to  the  white  man  to  be  conciliated,  by  this~state~ 
of  things.  He  had  to  do  with  men  who  had  long  been  taught 
to  consider  the  savage  as  a  natural  enemy,  as  hateful  as  the 
serpent  and  as  irreconcilable  as  the  wolf;  men  whose  ears 
had  been  accustomed  from  infancy  to  legends  of  border  wai1- 
fare,  in  which  the  savage  was  always  represented  as  the  ag- 
gressor, and  as  a  fiend  stimulated  by  hellish  passions,  and  con- 
tinually plotting  some  detestable  outrage  or  horrible  revenge. 
Most  of  them  had  witnessed  the  Indian  mode  of  warfare, 
which  spares  neither  age  nor  sex ;  and  many  of  them  had 
suffered  in  their  own  families,  or  those  of  their  nearest  friends. 
They  were  familiar  with  the  capture  of  women  and  children, 
the  conflagration  of  houses,  and  the  midnight  assassination  of 
the  helpless  and  decrepid  :  and  they  had  grown  up  in  a  ha- 
tred of  the  perpetrators  of  such  enormities,  which  the  philan- 
thropist could  hardly  condemn,  as  it  originated  in  generous 
feelings,  and  was  kept  alive  by  the  repeated  violation  of  the 
most  sacred  rights  and  the  best  affections. 

As  the  settlements  expanded,  the  wealthy  and  intelligent 
began  to  follow  the  footsteps  of  the  pioneer.  Virginia,  the 
parent  State,  had  rewarded  the  patriotism  of  many  of  her 
distinguished  revolutionary  officers,  by  large  grants  of  land 


*      THE   BACKWOODSMAN.  241 

^  t 

in  Kentucky,  and  some  of  these  emigrated  among  the  early 
settlers.  Many  young  gentlemen  -with  elevated  views  and 
liberal  educations,  followed  ;  and  some  of  those  who  thus 
came  with  the  rifle  in  hand,  and  commenced  their  professional 
career  amid  the  commotion  of  the  battle-field,  have  since 
been  widely  known  to  fame,  as  among  the  most  distinguished 
lawyers  and  statesmen  of  the  nation. 

There  were  others  of  a  character  still  more  essentially 
peaceful,  who  at  an  early  period  braved  the  dangers  and  pri- 
vations of  that  unsettled  region,  stimulated  by  a  noble  and 
self-denying  sense  of  duty.  While  the  tomahawk  and  fire- 
brand were  still  busy  ;  when  to  travel  from  one  settlement  to 
another  required  the  courage  and  hardihood  of  the  hunter; 
the  ministers  of  the  Gospel  penetrated  into  the  wilderness, 
and  zealously  pursued  their  sacred  calling  in  defiance  of  every 
danger.  They  learned  to  endure  fatigue,  to  provide  for  their 
wants,  and  to  elude  the  common  enemy,  with  the  sagacity  of 
woodsmen ;  and  those  of  them  who  lived  to  enjoy  the  dig- 
nity of  grey  hairs,  and  the  luxury  of  peaceful  times,  could  nar- 
rate a  series  of  strange  adventures,  and  "  hair-breadth  'scapes," 
such  as  seldom  occur  in  the  lives  of  the  clergy. 

The  incidents  of  the  following  tale  have  their  date  at  a 
period  when  the  settlements,  though  still  detached,  began  to 
be  so  strong  as  to  be  considered  permanent'.  Some  of  them 
were  now  regularly  organized,  and  felt  no  longer  any  dread 
of  predatory  incursions  of  the  neighbouring  savage.  The 
one  particularly  in  which  the  scene  is  laid,  had  experienced  a 
long  interval  of  uninterrupted  peace  ;  agriculture  was  begin- 
ning to  flourish,  and  the  civil  arts  had  been  introduced.  The 
woodsmen  still  retained  their  cabins,  pursued  the  wild  game 
for  a  livelihood,  and  joined  in  distant  expeditions  against  the 
savages,  and  in  defence  of  feebler  settlements ;  while  a  num- 
ber of  the  class  who  might  more  properly  be  called  farmers, 
and  several  intelligent  and  wealthy  families,  had  moved  into 
the  neighbourhood.  Civil  institutions  had  been  introduced 
11 


242  LEGENDS    OF    THE    WEST. 

and  the  spirit  of  improvement  was  awake.  The  sound  of 
the  axe  saluted  the  ear  in  every  direction ;  roads  were 
opened  ;  magistrates  had  been  appointed,  and  were  assuming 
the  authority  of  their  stations ;  arid  females  who  had  hereto- 
fore confined  themselves  within  doors,  brooding  over  their 
offspring,  like  watchful  birds,  and  who  had  found  even  the 
sacred  fortress  of  woman,  the  fireside,  no  protection  from 
violence,  now  felt  at  liberty  to  indulge  the  benevolent  pro- 
pensity for  visiting  their  neighbours,  and  talking  over  the 
affairs  of  the  community,  which  is  said  by  those  acquainted 
with  human  nature  to  be  peculiar  to  the  sex. 

Among  other  novelties,  a  camp  meeting  was  about  to  be 
held  for  the  first  time.  This  popular  mode  of  worship  was 
familiar  to  the  emigrants  from  Virginia  and  North  Carolina, 
where  it  had  long  been  practised,  and  found  highly  beneficial 
and  convenient  in  new  settlements,  where  public  edifices  had 
not  yet  been  erected,  and  where  private  habitations  were  too 
small  to  accommodate  worshipping  assemblies ;  and  the 
effort  now  about  to  be  made  for  its  introduction  in  the  west, 
was  hailed  as  a  happy  omen  for  the  country.  The  spot  was 
selected  with  great  care ;  the  whole  neighbourhood  united  in 
clearing  the  ground,  erecting  huts,  and  making  the  most  lib- 
eral arrangements  for  the  accommodation  of  the  concourse 
which  was  expected  to  be  assembled.  For  the  convenience 
of  obtaining  water,  a  place  was  chosen  on  the  margin  of  a 
small  rivulet  and  near  a  fine  spring.  The  ground  was  a  beau- 
tiful elevation  sloping  off  on  all  sides  and  crowned  with  a  thick 
growth  of  noble  forest  trees.  The  smallest  of  these  together 
with  all  the  underbrush  were  carefully  removed,  leaving  a  few 
of  the  most  stately,  whose  long  branches  formed  a  thick 
canopy  at  an  elevation  of  fifty  feet  from  the  ground.  The 
camp  was  laid  off  in  a  large  square,  three  sides  of  which  were 
occupied  by  huts,  and  the  fourth  by  the  stand  or  pulpit.  The 
whole  of  the  enclosed  area  was  filled  with  seats  roughly  hewed 
out  of  logs. 


THE   BACKWOODSMAN.  243 

A  busy  scene  was  presented  on  the  day  before  the  meet- 
ing commenced,  occasioned  by  the  arrival  of  the  people,  some 
of  whom  had  travelled  an  immense  distance.  The  larger 
number  came  on  horseback,  some  in  wagons  and  some  in  ox- 
carts. They  were  loaded  with  beds,  cooking  utensils,  table 
furniture  and  provisions.  These  articles,  however,  were 
chiefly  furnished  by  the  inhabitants  of  the  vicinity,  who 
claimed  the  privilege  of  entertaining  strangers.  The  persons 
resident  in  the  immediate  neighbourhood  had  each  erected  his 
own  hut,  with  the  intention  of  accommodating,  besides  his 
own  family,  a  number  of  guests ;  large  quantities  of  game 
had  been  taken,  beef,  pigs,  and  poultry  had  been  killed,  and 
the  good  wives  had  been  engaged  for  several  days  in  cooking 
meat  and  preparing  bread  and  pastry.  The  loads  upon  loads 
of  good  things  for  the  body  which  were  accumulated  were 
marvellous  to  behold;  not  that  there  was  any  indulgence  of 
luxury  or  extravagant  display,  but  as  was  very  judiciously 
remarked  on  the  occasion  by  a  veteran  hunter,  "  it  took  a 
powerful  chance  of  truck  to  feed  such  a  heap  of  folks"  and 
the  generous  Kentuckians,  accustomed  to  practise  the  most 
liberal  hospitality,  could  not  be  backward  on  a  public  occa- 
sion. 

The  meeting  commenced  on  Thursday  and  lasted  until 
Monday,  the  whole  of  each  day  being  occupied  with  religious 
exercises.  At  daylight  in  the  morning  the  voice  of  prayer 
was  heard  in  each  hut,  where  the  families  were  separately 
assembled,  as  such,  for  worship.  Shortly  afterwards  the  fires 
were  kindled  around  the  encampment,  and  a  few  of  the 
females  were  seen  engaged  in  cooking.  A  few  individuals 
then  collected  on  the  seats  in  the  area  and  raised  a  hymn; 
others  joined  them,  and  the  number  swelled  gradually  until 
nearly  the  whole  company  was  collected.  They  sang  without 
books ;  the  pieces  being  those  of  which  the  words  were  gene- 
rally known.  Some  of  the  tunes  were  remarkably  sweet,  and 
aaid  thus  sung  in  the  open  air  under  the  broad  canopy  of 


244  LEGENDS   OF   THE    WEST. 

heaven,  and  as  it  were  in  the  immediate  presence  of  the  great 
Object  of  all  worship,  were  indescribably  solemn  and  affecting  ; 
some  were  peculiarly  wild,  and  some  cheerful ;  many  of  them 
being  the  beautiful  airs  of  popular  ballads,  which  were  in  this 
manner  appropriated  to  Divine  worship.  The  balmy  fresh- 
ness of  the  morning  air,  the  splendour  of  the  rising  sun,  the 
stillness  of  the  forest  and  the  wild  graces  of  the  surrounding 
scenery  gave  a  wonderful  interest  to  this  voluntary  matin  ser- 
vice. It  was  thus  our  first  parents  worshipped  their  Creator 
in  Paradise,  thus  the  early  Christians  assembled  in  groves  and 
secluded  places  ;  and  so  close  is  the  union  between  good  taste 
and  religious  feeling,  that  while  civilized  nations  have  set 
apart  the  most  splendid  edifices  for  worship,  ruder  communi- 
ties, in  a  similar  spirit,  assemble  for  the  same  purpose  at  the 
most  genial  hour  and  the  most  picturesque  spot.  The  heart 
powerfully  excited  by  generous  feelings  always  becomes 
romantic  ;  the  mind  elevated  by  the  noble  pursuit  of  a  high 
object  becomes  enlarged  and  refined  ;  and  although  such  im- 
pulses may  be  temporary,  the  virtuous  actions  which  they 
produce  have  a  tendency  towards  the  soft,  the  graceful,  and  the 
picturesque  in  their  development.  After  the  morning  hymn, 
the  preachers  ascended  the  stand,  and  service  was  performed 
before  breakfast.  The  rest  of  the  day,  with  the  exception  of 
short  intervals  for  refreshment,  was  filled  in  the  same  manner. 
But  nothing  could  exceed  the  solemn  and  beautiful  effect  of 
the  meeting  at  night.  The  huts  were  all  illuminated,  and 
lights  were  fastened  to  the  trunks  of  the  trees,  throwing  a 
glare  upon  the  overhanging  canopy  of  leaves,  now  beginning 
to  be  tinged  with  the  rich  hues  of  autumn,  which  gave  it  the 
appearance  of  a  splendid  arch  finely  carved  and  exquisitely 
shaded.  All  around  was  the  dark  gloom  of  the  forest,  deep- 
ened to  intense  blackness  by  its  contrast  with  the  brilliant 
light  of  the  camp. 

But  we  must  hasten  to  our  narrative.     On  Sunday  morn- 
ing a  company  consisting  of  three  persons  was  seen  approach- 


THE    BACKWOODSMAN.  245 

ing  the  camp-ground.  The  elder  of  these  who  rode  alone  in 
advance  of  the  others,  was  Mr.  Singleton,  a  gentleman  who 
had  recently  emigrated  from  Virginia.  He  was  a  farmer,  a 
well-educated  man,  in  easy  circumstances,  who  not  being 
religious  nor  in  any  manner  connected  with  the  sect  under 
whose  auspices  the  meeting  was  held,  contented  himself  with 
participating  no  farther  in  its  proceedings  than  by  being  a 
regular  and  respectful  attendant  on  the  daily  services.  Miss 
Singleton,  his  only  daughter,  and  Edward  Overton,  her  affianced 
lover,  were  his  companions.  They  were  to  be  married  in  a 
fortnight  from  this  time,  it  is  unnecessary  to  inform  the 
erudite  reader  that  the  young  lady,  who  was  just  turned  of 
seventeen,  was  beautiful  and  interesting,  and  her  lover  tall 
and  handsome.  Had  they  been  otherwise  their  lives  might 
have  slept  in  oblivion,  with  the  fame  of  the  "  mute  inglorious" 
rustics  in  Gray's  Elegy.  Dennie,  who  has  been  called  the 
American  Addison,  once  amused  himself  by  criticising  an  ad- 
vertisement of  a  man  who  had  stolen  "  a  chunky  horse,"  and 
with  such  a  lesson  before  our  eyes,  we  should  bardly  venture 
upon  a  chunky  young  man  for  a  hero,  or  a  hard-favoured  lady 
for  a  heroine.  The  decree  of  literary  ostracism  by  which 
short  gentlemen  have  been  banished  from  the  pages  of  fiction, 
is,  in  our  humble  opinion,  unjust,  believing,  as  we  do,  that  to 
be  an  interesting  young  man  and  a  tender  lover  it  is  by  no 
means  necessary  to  possess  the  corporeal  altitude  of  a  grena- 
dier. For  the  homely  and  the  dull  we  put  in  no  plea  :  it  is  a 
standing  rule  among  writers,  having  a  laudable  care  of  their 
own  fame,  not  to  waste  their  midnight  oil  upon  ugly  or  insipid 
people.  The  reader  is  therefore  desired  to  understand  dis- 
tinctly, that  the  young  couple  now  introduced,  were  not  only 
worthy  and  amiable,  but  were  in  point  of  appearance  all  that 
the  most  romantic  peruser  of  these  veracious  pages  could 
rationally  desire. 

As  they  rode  slowly  along,  they  were  deeply  engaged  in 
conversation ;  but  it  was  easy  to  see  from  the  sedate  demean- 


246  LEGENDS   OF   THE    WEST. 

our  of  Ellen  Singleton,  that  the  subject  was  suited  to  the  day 
and  the  occasion.  She  was  naturally  gay  and  volatile;  but 
latterly  her  thoughts  had  been  turned  to  the  subject  of  religion ; 
and  as  the  day  approached  when  she  was  to  take  upon  her  the 
vows  of  wedlock,  and  to  enter  upon  new  and  solemn  duties, 
she  felt  more  and  more  the  necessity  of  directing  her  life 
agreeably  to  the  precepts  of  the  Gospel.  To  these  virtuous 
resolutions  a  new  impulse  had  been  given  by  the  exercises  of 
the  camp-meeting.  Her  heart  was  sensibly  awakened,  and 
her  judgment  fully  persuaded;  and  after  serious  reflection  and 
preparation  she  was  now  ready  to  make  a  profession  of  her 
faith  by  uniting  herself  with  the  church,  and  assuming  those 
engagements  which  are  imposed  upon  the  disciples  of  the  Re- 
deemer. These  duties  she  expected  to  take  upon  her  that 
day ;  and  Edward  Overton  felt  deeply  affected  as  he  noticed 
the  solemn  tone,  the  deep  conviction,  and  the  firm  determina- 
tion of  her  mind  ;  for  however  a  false  shame  may  sometimes 
induce  the  concealment  of  devotional  feelings,  under  the  mis- 
taken notion  that  they  will  be  considered  as  the  evidence  of 
weakness,  the  truth  is,  that  a  young  lady  is  never  so  interest- 
ing in  the  eyes  of  her  lover  as  when  conscientiously  engaged 
in  the  performance  of  her  duty. 

The  senses  of  a  young  man  are  easily  excited  by  beauty, 
wit, -gaiety,  and  the  thousand  attractions  of  feminine  loveli- 
ness, but  there  must  be  moral  energy  and  pure  principle  to 
secure  his  affections.  Edward  had  admired  Ellen  when  he 
saw  her  in  the  pride  of  beauty  and  the  flush  of  overflowing 
spirits;  he  had  long  known  her  to  be  refined  and  generous, 
and  loved  to  contemplate  her  soft  attractions  and  delicate 
graces ;  but  he  now  witnessed  the  operations  of  her  mind 
under  a  new  aspect,  and  when  he  saw  the  good  sense,  the 
energy,  and  the  strength  of  principle  which  supported  her  in 
the  determination  to  act  up  to  her  sense  of  duty,  his  love  rose 
to  a  sentiment  of  devotion.  Formerly  Ellen  had  been  in  his 
eyes  a  beautiful  vision,  floating  along  in  the  tide  of  youthful 


THE   BACKWOODSMAN.  247 

enjoyment ;  but  now  that  she  had  assumed  an  individuality  of 
character,  asserted  her  independence  as  a  moral  agent,  and 
acknowledged  her  accountability  to  God,  she  became  invested 
with  a  dignity  which  gave  an  almost  angelic  sacredness  to  her 
charms. 

On  that  day  the  concourse  was  greater  than  it  had  been 
before ;  and  those  who  had  been  for  years  accustomed  to  the 
solitude  of  the  forest,  to  alarm,  toil,  and  privation,  felt  their 
hearts  elevated  with  a  new  species  of  joy  and  gratitude,  when 
they  found  themselves  surrounded  by  their  countrymen,  and 
united  with  them  in  social  and  sacred  duties.  With  many  of 
them  the  Sabbath  had  long  passed  unhonoured  and  even 
unnoticed,  and  its  public  acknowledgment  called  them  back  to 
holy  and  happy  feelings ;  for  there  is  in  the  observance  of  this 
day  something  so  noble,  so  heart-cheering,  so  appropriate  to 
the  most  virtuous  impulse  of  our  bosoms,  that  even  the 
thoughtless  cannot  divest  themselves  of  its  influence.  It  is, 
to  all  who  submit  to  restrictions,  a  day  of  repose,  when  "  the 
weary  are  at  rest,  and  the  wicked  cease  from  troubling ;"  a 
day  from  which  care  and  labour  are  banished,  and  when  the 
burthens  of  life  are  lightened  from  the  shoulders  of  the  heavy 
laden.  But  to  him  who  sincerely  worships  at  the  altar  of 
true  piety,  and  especially  to  one  who  has  been  led  in  infancy 
to  the  pure  fountains  of  religion,  the  return  of  the  long- 
neglected  Sabbath  brings  up  a  train  of  pure  and  ecstatic  recol- 
lections. To  all  it  was  the  harbinger  of  peace,  security,  and 
civil  order. 

It  was  delightful  to  see  a  whole  community,  who  but 
recently  had  assembled  only  at  the  sound  of  the  bugle,  or  by 
the  glare  of  the  beacon  fire,  now  coming  together,  by  a  spon- 
taneous impulse,  to  mingle  their  hearts  and  voices  in  the 
rational  and  solemn  exercises  of  religion.  Insulated  as  that 
congregation  was  from  the  rest  of  mankind,  the  individuals 
composing  it  felt  as  if  they  were  reunited  with  the  great 
human  family,  when  they  resumed  the  performance  of 


248  LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 

Christian  duties,  and  knelt  before  the  Redeemer  of  men  in 
common  with  all  Christendom  on  his  appointed  day.  Many 
of  them  had  reared  the  altar  of  worship  in  their  own  families, 
and  the  sweet  accents  of  praise  had  been  heard  ascending 
through  the  gloom  of  the  forest,  mingled  with  the  fiendish 
sound  of  the  war-whoop  and  the  dissonant  yell  of  the  beasts 
of  prey,  and  they  had  seen  days  of  moral  darkness,  of  bodily 
anguish,  of  almost  utter  despair,  when  it  seemed  as  if  their 
prayers  were  not  heard,  and  that  God  had  abandoned  that 
land  to  the  blackness  of  darkness  for  ever.  But  now  he  had 
set  his  bow  in  the  heavens ;  his  altar  was  publicly  reared  and 
his  presence  sensibly  felt;  and  they  who  believed  in  the 
reality  of  religion  felt  assured  that  a  sign  was  given  them 
that  they  should  not  be  destroyed  from  off  the  face  of  the 
land.  Never  did  those  simple  and  affecting  words  seem 
more  appropriate,  "  How  beautiful  upon  the  mountains  are 
the  feet  of  him  that  bringeth  tidings  that  publisheth  peace." 

In  the  evening,  when  Mr.  Singleton  and  his  daughter  were 
about  to  return  home,  Edward  Overton  hastened  to  join 
them.  Ellen  had  that  day  been  among  the  number  who 
became  attached  to  the  church,  and,  deeply  absorbed  in 
devotional  feelings,  had  abstracted  her  senses  and  thoughts 
from  all  other  subjects.  Edward  had  watched  her  with  deep 
emotion,  and  he  now  approached  her  with  a  feeling  of  rever- 
ence, such  as  he  had  never  felt  towards  her  before.  She 
extended  her  hand  and  spoke  to  him  with  her  usual  kindness 
of  manner,  but  in  a  tone  in  which  seriousness  was  mingled 
with  unwonted  tenderness ;  and  as  he  assisted  her  to  mount 
her  horse,  whispered  to  him  not  to  accompany  them.  "  I 
cannot  converse  with  you  this  evening,  Edward,"  said  she ; 
"  I  wish  to  be  alone,  and  I  am  sure  that  you  will  gratify  me 
— come  to-morrow."  He  saw  the  propriety  of  her  request, 
and  pressing  her  hand  affectionately  bade  her  adieu,  with  a 
promise  to  visit  her  early  the  next  morning. 

The  sun  had  just  set  as  Mr.  Singleton  and  his  daughter 


THE    BACKWOODSMAN.  249 

left  the  camp-ground,  but  having  only  a  short  distance  to  go 
they  were  in  no  haste.  It  was  a  serene  evening  in  September. 
The  air  was  still  and  soft,  and  the  sky  had  that  richness  and 
brilliancy  of  colour  which  travellers  describe  as  peculiar  to 
the  genial  atmosphere  of  Italy.  The  leaves  still  hung  upon 
the  trees,  and  some  of  them  retained  their  verdure,  while 
others  were  tinged  with  yellow,  brown,  or  deep  scarlet,  giving 
to  the  foliage  every  variety  of  hue.  The  wild  fruits  were 
abundant.  The  grape-vines  were  loaded  with  purple  clusters. 
The  persimmon,  the  paw-paw,  and  the  crab-apple  hung  thick 
upon  the  tree?,  while  the  ground  was  strewed  with  nuts. 
Ellen,  who  was  fatigued  with  the  confinement  of  the  day, 
enjoyed  the  exercise  and  the  balmy  air  of  the  evening,  and 
felt  that  the  passing  moments  were  among  the  most  delight- 
ful of  her  life.  They  were  in  unison  with  her  feelings  and 
emblematic  of  her  situation :  she  had  passed  the  joyous  spring 
of  life,  and  a  season  of  riper  enjoyment,  of  serene  quiet,  and 
useful  virtue,  was  pictured  to  her  fancy  in  agreeable  per- 
spective. 

They  had  nearly  reached  home  when  they  met  one  of 
their  neighbours,  with  whom  Mr.  Singleton  wished  to  converse 
for  a  few  moments;  he  therefore  stopped,  desiring  Ellen  to 
ride  slowly  forward.  Absorbed  in  her  own  reflections,  and 
not  dreaming  of  danger,  she  gave  the  rein  to  her  spirited 
horse,  which,  impatient  to  return  to  his  stable,  quickened  his 
pace  imperceptibly,  and  she  was  soon  out  of  sight  of  her 
parent.  But  their  dwelling  was  now  in  view,  and  she  felt  no 
alarm  until  her  horse  suddenly  stopped  and  snuffed  the  air,  as 
if  in  great  terror.  She  had  heard  of  the  keenness  of  scent  by 
which  these  animals  discover  the  approach  of  an  Indian,  and 
the  affright  that  they  evince  on  such  occasions;  and  feeling 
confident  that  nothing  but  the  vicinity  of  a  savage  or  some 
ferocious  beast  could  thus  alarm  her  gentle  nag,  she  attempted 
to  rein  him  up  in  order  to  return  to  her  father.  But  the 
horse  stood  as  if  fixed  to  the  ground,  trembling  and  snorting 
11* 


250  LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 

with  an  accent  of  agony  ;  and  before  she  could  form  any 
other  resolution,  a  party  of  Indians,  lying  in  ambush  on  each 
side  of  the  road,  rushed  forward  and  dragged  her  from  her 
horse,  while  the  high-bred  animal,  becoming  frantic  with 
terror,  tore  the  bridle  which  they  had  seized  from  their 
grasp,  and  made  his  escape  at  full  speed. 

The  savages  having  secured  their  prize,  immediately 
began  to  retreat  towards  their  towns  at  a  rapid  pace,  forcing 
the  afflicted  girl  to  exert  her  utmost  strength  to  keep  up  with 
them.  It  soon,  however,  grew  dark,  and  they  proceeded  at  a 
more  deliberate  gait,  but  still  pursued  their  journey  through 
the  whole  night,  groping  their  way  amidst  dense  thickets 
beset  with  thorns  and  briars,  and  over  ravines  and  the  trunks 
of  fallen  trees,  with  ease  to  themselves,  but  with  brutal  vio- 
lence to  the  delicate  frame  of  their  captive.  Poor  Ellen  had 
need  now  of  all  the  consolations  which  the  religion  that  she 
had  just  professed  could  afford.  She  had  been  told  that  day 
that  she  would  meet  with  afflictions  that  would  try  her  faith, 
but  that  God  would  never  forsake  those  that  believed 
on  him  ;  and  she  now  threw  herself  entirely  upon  Him  for 
protection.  She  prayed  earnestly  and  sincerely,  and  felt  a 
conviction  that  she  was  heard.  Her  courage  rose  with  con- 
fidence, and  she  went  forward  without  a  murmur,  resigned  to 
meet  her  fate  whatever  it  might  be.  Ellen,  too,  was  naturally 
a  girl  of  good  sense  and  high  spirit,  and  while  she  humbly 
relied  upon  divine  protection,  saw  also  the  propriety  of  exert- 
ing herself;  and  knowing  that  the  Indians  would  soon  be 
pursued,  she  deliberately  laid  plans  to  retard  the  retreat  and 
disclose  their  path.  Keeping  up  an  appearance  of  diligence 
and  obedience,  she  contrived  to  linger  at  the  various  obstacles 
which  obstructed  their  way,  while  she  employed  herself, 
whenever  she  could  do  so  without  attracting  notice,  in  tearing 
off  small  pieces  of  her  dress,  and  dropping  such  articles  as 
she  could  dispense  with  in  places  where  they  would  be  likely 
to  attract  attention.  The  darkness  of  the  night  favoured  this 


THE   BACKWOODSMAN.  251 

scheme ;  her  reticule,  handkerchief,  &c.,  were  thus  strewed 
by  the  way,  and  in  brushing  through  the  thickets  she  broke 
the  twigs  with  her  hands  as  signals  to  her  pursuers. 

The  morning  added  to  her  griefs.  The  warrior  who 
claimed  her,  and  who  seemed  to  be  the  leader  of  the  party, 
having  led  her  during  the  night  by  thongs  of  skin  bound  round 
her  wrists,  now  removed  the  bands,  and  seemed  to  contem- 
plate his  prize  with  complacency.  He  assured  her  in  broken, 
and  barely  intelligible  English,  of  a  kind  treatment,  and  pro- 
mised that  if  she  behaved  well,  he  would  make  her  his  wife. 
When  Ellen  shook  her  head  in  alarm,  as  if  dissenting  from 
this  matrimonial  arrangement,  he  said,  "  May  be,  you  think  I 
cannot  support  you.  That  is  a  mistake.  The  Speckled  Snake 
is  a  great  hunter.  My  lodge  is  on  the  bank  of  a  great  river, 
where  the  water  is  cold,  and  the  big  fish  love  to  swim.  The 
plains  all  round  my  village  are  covered  with  deer  and  buffalo. 
The  stars  in  the  heavens  are  not  so  many  as  the  cattle  on  our 
hunting-grounds.  The  white  man  does  not  come  there  to 
destroy  every  thing  that  the  Great  Spirit  made  for  his  red 
people,  like  the  hurricane  when  it  sweeps  through  the  woods. 
I  can  outrun  the  elk ;  I  am  stronger  than  the  buffalo ;  I  am 
more  cunning  than  the  beaver.  They  call  me  the  Speckled 
Snake,  because  I  can  conceal  myself  in  the  grass,  and  so  my 
enemies  step  on  me  before  they  see  me.  I  have  only  three 
squaws.  I  can  support  another  very  well,  and  my  lodge  is 
big  enough  for  three  or  four  more.  You  need  not  be  afraid 
of  my  women  treating  you  ill.  I  will  beat  them  unmercifully 
if  they  strike  you.  My  squaws  fear  me;  I  whip  them 
severely  when  they  quarrel  with  each  other.  Women  need 
a  great  deal  of  whipping." 

Late  in  the  morning  they  halted  to  eat  and  rest.  Ellen  had 
no  appetite  for  food.  She  had  now  been  walking  for  fourteen 
hours  without  cessation,  over  hills  and  through  swamps  and 
thickets.  Her  feet  weje  swelled  and  lacerated,  and  her 
hands  and  arms  torn  with  briars.  Worn  down  by  extrem? 


252  LEGENDS    OF    THE    WEST. 

fatigue  and  mental  exhaustion,  she  began  to  suffer  intense 
thirst  and  violent  pains.  But  her  bodily  afflictions  were 
light  in  comparison  with  the  gloomy  anticipations  of  her 
mind,  and  the  shock  already  inflicted  on  her  sensitive  heart. 
She  found  her  companions  more  brutal  and  loathsome  than 
c  von  prejudiced  description  had  painted  them.  They  had 
urge'd  her  forward  with  pointed  sticks,  and  would  have  beaten 
her,  had  she  not  endeavoured  to  anticipate  their  wishes.  .JThey 
devoured  their  raw  and  almost  putrid  meat  with  the  glutton  y 
of  beasts  ;  and  exhibited  altogether  a  ferocity  which  seemed 
to  belong  to  fiends  rather  than  to  human  beings.  The  idea 
of  remaining  in  their  power  was  dreadful ;  death,  she  thought, 
would  be  infinitely  preferable  to  such  captivity.  Like  all 
generous  minds,  she  had,  too,  in  the  moment  of  her  severest 
sufferings,  a  sympathy  for  others  which  was  more  poignant 
than  her  own  afflictions.  She  thought  of  her  father,  who  had 
no  child  but  herself,  and  whose  heart  would  be  wrung  with 
intense  agony  by  this  event ;  and  of  Edward  Overton,  the 
devoted  lover,  whose  affections  were  so  closely  linked  with  her 
own,  and  pictured  to  herself  the  misery  they  would  endure 
upon  her  account.  Still  her  courage  remained  strong,  and 
her  confidence  in  Heaven  unshaken  ;  and,  as  her  captors  swal- 
lowed their  hasty  meal,  she  sunk  upon  her  knees,  clasped  her 
hands  together,  and  with  a  countenance  beaming  calm  resig- 
nation, engaged  in  audible  prayer,  while  the  Indians  gazed  at 
her  with  a  wonder  not  unmingled  with  awe. 

Here  we  shall  leave  her  for  the  present,  while  we  intro- 
duce another  character  to  the  reader's  •  acquaintance.  At  a 
distance  of  some  fifteen  or  twenty  miles  from  the  place  of 
holding  the  religious  meeting  above  alluded  to,  a  solitary  hun- 
ter was  "  camped  out"  in  the  woods.  He  had  selected  a  spot 
in  a  range  of  low  broken  hills,  on  the  margin  of  an  extensive 
flat  of  wet  alluvion  land,  to  which  the  wild  grazing  animals 
resorted  at  this  season,  when  the  grass  and  herbage  were  be- 
ginning to  wither  upon  the  uplands.  His  camp  was  simply 


THE   BACKWOODSMAN.  253 

a  roof  resting  on  the  ground,  formed  by  leaning  stakes  of 
wood  together,  so  as  to  make  them  meet  at  the  top,  and 
covering  them  with  bark.  It  was  not  more  than  four  feet 
high,  and  intended  only  to  accommodate  a  single  person  in  a 
.reclining  posture  ;  and  was  placed  in  a  thicket,  so  concealed 
by  vines  and  branches,  as  not  to  be  discoverable,  except  by 
close  inspection,  while  the  aperture,  which  supplied  the  place 
of  a  door,  commanded  a  view  to  some  distance  in  front.  Not 
far  from  it  was  an  Indian  war-path,  leading  from  the  flat  to 
the  uplands  ;  and  the  hunter  seemed  to  have  purposely  placed 
himself  in  a  position  from  which  he  would  be  likely  to  see 
the  war  parties  of  the  savages,  should  any  pass,  without  being 
discovered  by  them. 

The  hunter  was  a  man  of  middle  height,  not  remarkably 
stout,  but  with  a  round  built,  compact  form,  happily  combi- 
ning strength  with  activity.  His  countenance  was  mild  and 
placid,  showing  an  amiable  and  contented  disposition;  and 
his  eye  was  of  a  quiet,  contemplative  kind.  The  muscles  of 
his  face  were  rigid  and  strongly  developed,  and  his  complex- 
ion darkened  by  long  exposure  to  the  weather ;  hut  there 
was  no  lines  indicating  violent  or  selfish  passions.  It  was  a 
bold,  manly  countenance,  but  the  prevailing  expressions  were 
those  of  benevolence  and  thought.  There  was  an  archness, 
too,  about  the  eye,  which  showed  that  its  possessor  was  not 
deficient  in  humour.  He  was  evidently  a  man  of  strong  mind, 
of  amiable  propensities,  and  of  great  simplicity  of  character. 
The  quiet  courage  of  his  glance,  the  self-possession  and  calm 
vigilance  of  his  manner,  together  with  a  certain  carelessness 
and  independence  of  mien,  would  have  pointed  him  out  as  a 
genuine  pioneer,  who  loved  the  woods,  and  was  most  happy 
when  roaming  in  pursuit  of  game,  or  reclining  in  his  solitary 
retreat,  with  no  companion  but  his  faithful  dog.  Nor  was 
this  fondness  for  the  silence  of  the  wilderness  the  result  of 
unsocial  feelings  :  the  hunter  loved  his  friend,  and  enjoyed  the 
endearments  of  his  own  fireside ;  but  he  forsook  them  in  the 


254  LEGENDS    OF   THE    WEST. 

same  spirit  in  which  the  philosopher  retires  to  the  seclusion  of 
his  closet — to  enjoy  unmolested  the  train  of  his  own  reflections, 
and  to  follow  without  interruption  a  pursuit  congenial  with  his 
nature.  Though  unaccquainted  with  books,  he  had  perused 
certain  parts  of  the  great  volume  of  nature  with  diligent  at- 
tention. The  changes  of  the  seasons,  the  atmospherical  phe- 
nomena, the  growth  of  plants,  the  habits  of  animals,  had  for 
years  engaged  his  observing  powers;  and  without  having  any 
knowledge  of  the  philosophy  of  schools,  he  had  formed  for 
himself  a  system  which  had  the  merit  of  being  often  true,  and 
always  original. 

On  the  same  night  in  which  Ellen  Singleton  was  captured 
by  the  Indians,  the  hunter  whom  we  have  described  slept  in 
his  camp.  It  was  dark,  but  perfectly  still,  and  his  slumbers 
were  undisturbed  until  near  the  dawn  of  day,  when  his  dog* 
which  lay  on  the  outside,  suddenly  started  up  and  uttered  a 
low  whine.  The  watchful  hunter,  accustomed  to  awake  at 
the  slightest  alarm,  raised  his  head  and  listened.  The  dog 
snuffed  -the  air  for  a  moment,  and  then  crept  cautiously  into 
the  camp,  as  if  to  apprise  his  master  of  approaching  danger. 
The  latter  seized  his  rifle  and  crept  from  the  place  of  conceal- 
ment, while  the  dog,  with  bristling  hair,  crouched  on  the 
ground  uttering  at  intervals  a  low  suppressed  moan,  intended 
only  for  the  ear  of  his  master. 

The  hunter  looked  cautiously  around,  and  having  satisfied 
himself  that  no  enemy  was  within  striking  distance,  directed 
his  scrutiny  to  a  spot  where  the  war-path  crossed  the  summit 
of  a  small  knoll  which  was  bare  of  timber,  and  beyond  which 
the  blue  sky  could  be  seen.  As  he  watched,  a  human  figure 
was  seen  dimly  traced  on  the  horizon,  passing  rapidly  over 
the  summit  of  the  knoll  along  the  Indian  trail.  Another,  and 
then  others  followed,  until  the  hunter  had  counted  seven  ; 
but  their  forms  were  too  indistinct  to  enable  him  to  make 
any  guess  as  to  their  character.  He  had  other  data,  however, 
upon  which  to  form  a  judgment.  "Indians?"  muttered  ho 


THE   BACKWOODSMAN.  255 

to  himself,  "yes,  Dragjvouldjiot^crojjch  bejweenjayjfifi* 

trembling  and  whining,  and  bristling  like  a  scared  pig,  if  he 
did  not  scent  a  red-skin.  lean  almost  think  1  smell  them 
myself.  They  have  been  in  some  devilment  now,  the  abom- 
inable wretches  !  TTow  they  sneak  off  like  thieve-;  !''  Then 
while  the  last  figure  was  in  sight,  he  placed  his  mouth  against 
a  hollow  tree  to  give  a  more  sepulchral  tone  to  his  voice,  and 
imitated  the  screech  of  the  owl.  The  figure  halted,  and  ut- 
tered a  low  short  sound  resembling  a  different  note  of  the 
same  bird ;  but  the  hunter  continued  his  mournful  serenade 
in  loud  prolonged  accents,  until  the  human  prowler,  apparent- 
ly satisfied  that  it  was  the  night-song  of  the  real  bird,  and 
not  the  signal  of  a  friend,  resumed  his  silent  march.  An 
owl,  the  tenant  of  a  neighbouring  oak,  and  who  was  the 
identical  music  master  of  our  hunter,  took  up  the  strain  with 
increased  vivacity,  but  in  a  tone  so  nearly  resembling  that 
which  had  just  ceased,  as  to  have  deceived  the  nicest  ear, 
and  the  hunter  resumed  his  reflections. 

"  Well,  I've  fooled  them— and  not  the  first  time  either. 
Hiey  are  my  old  acquaintances,  the  Mingoes ;  and  that  is  the 
signal  of  the  Speckled  Snake — the  prince  of  mischief — the., 
head  devil  of  his  tribe.  Oh.  the  beggarly  cut-throat  villains! 
If  I  had  Billy  Whitley  here  now,  or  Simon  Kenton,  or  Ben 
Logan,  the  way  we'd  fix  these  seven  Indians  would  be  curi- 
ous. Some  honest  man's  cabin  is  blazing  now,  f  warrant,  and 
his  wife  and  children  butchered.  It  is  ridiculous,  I  declare. 
They  have  no  more  bowels  of  compassion  than  a  wolf.  But 
after  all,  the  Indians  have  some  good  qualities.  They  are 
prime  hunters.  I  will  Say  thatTur  them,  and  they  are  true  to 
one  another.  I  don't  blame  them  a  grain  for  their  hatred  to 
the  Long  Knives.  That  game  is  fair,  for  two  can  play  at  it. 
But  their~th~irst  for  human  blood,  and  their  cruelty  to  women 
and  children  is  ridiculous.  It  does  no  good  to  nobody,  and 
is  ruinous  to  the  pleasant  business  of  hunting ;  for  a  man 
cannot  take  a  little  hunt  of  a  month  or  two,  without  the  dan- 


256  LEGENDS   OF   THE    WEST. 

ger  of  having  his  cabin  burnt,  and  his  family  murdered  in 
his  absence.  Well,  it  is  no  use  for  me  to  sit  here ;  I'll  take 
another  nap,  and  look  after  the  Speckled  Snake  in  the  morn- 
ing." 

At  the  first  appearance  of  daylight  the  hunter  sprang 
from  his  bed  of  skins.  No  time  was  required  for  the  toilet, 
for  he  had  slept  with  all  his  accoutrements  about  him,  and 
came  forth  equipped  at  all  points.  He  was  clad  in  dressed 
buckskin,  fitted  closely  to  his  form,  and  so  arranged  as  to 
protect  every  part  of  his  person  from  the  thorns  and  briars 
which  might  assail  it  in  passing  rapidly  through  the  brush- 
wood of  the  forest.  Under  one  arm  hung  a  large  powder- 
horn,  which  had  been  selected  for  the  beauty  of  its  curve  and 
texture,  carefully  scraped  and  polished  and  covered  with 
quaint  devices  traced  with  the  point  of  the  hunter's  knife ; 
under  the  other  was  suspended  a  square  pouch  of  leather,  con 
taining  flints,  patches,  balls,  steel,  tinder,  and  other  "  little 
fixens,"  as  a  backwoodsman  would  call  them,  constituting  a 
complete  magazine  of  supplies  for  a  protracted  hunt.  On 
the  belt  supporting  the  pouch  in  a  sheath  contrived  for  the 
purpose,  was  a  hunter's  knife,  a  weapon  with  a  plain  wooden 
handle,  -marvellously  resembling  the  vulgar  instrument  with 
which  the  butcher  executes  his  sanguinary  calling.  From  a 
crevice  in  a  neighbouring  rock  where  it  had  been  artfully  con- 
cealed, our  pioneer  supplied  a  small  wallet  with  a  store  of 
dried  venison,  in  order  to  be  prepared  for  a  march  of  several 
days,  should  occasion  require,  A  broad  leathern  belt,  se- 
cured round  the  waist  by  a  strong  buckle,  confined  the  whole 
dress  and  equipment  and  supported  a  tomahawk. 

Thus  clad  and  prepared  for  action  the  hunter,  after  care- 
fully examining  the  priming  of  his  rifle,  scraping  the  flint,  and 
ga§sing^  his  eye  along_the  barrel  to  see  that  all  was  right, 
strodejjff  towards  the  place  where"  lie  iTad  seen  the  JndmnsV 
"To  think  of  their~havTng  the  impudence  to  walk  along  & 
footpath  like  white  people/'  muttered  he  ;  "they  must  know 


? 

THE' BACKWOODSMAN.  ,     257 

that  (liFjthey  have  been  in  mischief  the  settlements  will  be 
raised,  and  the  horsemen  will  follow  this  trail.  They  didn't 
keep  it  long,  I  judge,  but  only  fell  into  here  on  the  broken 
ground  to  get  along  a  little  faster."  Having  reached  the 
path,  he  examined  it  closely,  but  the  hard-  ground  afforded 
him  but  little  satisfaction,  and  he  proceeded  cautiously  towards 
a  rivulet,  or,  in  the  vernacular  of  the  country,  a  branch, 
that  meandered  along  the  foot  of  the  hill.  Here  hejvas  again 
jlisapppinted,  for  the  Indians  had  cunningly  diverged  from  the 
path,  and  crossed  the  water  by  a  log,  leaving  no  trace  of  their 
footsteps.  "  Aye,  they  are  cunning  enough,"  soliloquised  the_ 
hunter,  "I  couldn't  expect  them  to  cross  the  branch  at  a  lord, 
like  a  mail-carrier  in  the  settlements.  But  they  can't  fool 
me ;  I  have  not  been  raised  in  the  woods  to  be  outwitted  by 
a  gang  of  thieving  Mingoes.  The  Speckled  Snake  is  famous 
for  these  tricks,  and  has  done  his  best,  there  is  no  mistake 
about  that;  but  no  animal  that  moves  upon  feet  can  walk 
these  wrvods  without  making  a  sign. 

"  Well,  it  is  a  pleasant  life  that  the  hunter  leads,  after  all, 
though  it  is  a  hard  one,"  continued  he,  as  he  opened  his  collar, 
bathed  his  face  and  hands  in  the  clear  stream,  and  seated  him- 
self on  a  log  to  enjoy  the  cool  morning  air.  "  Nature  didjioi. 
jmake  these  clear  waters  and  beautiful  woods  merely  for  the  use 
of  treacherous  Indians, — no,  nor  for  land  speculators  andped- 
lars.  Here  is  quiet  and  repose,  such  as  they  know  nothing  of 
who  toil  in  their  harvest  fields  or  bustle  about  in  crowded  cities. 
And  what  is  the  use  of  all  their  labour  ?  The  enemy  steals 
into  the  settlement,  and  in  a  moment  their  stacks,  their  barns, 
and  their  houses  are  all  in  flames,  or  the  pestilence,  walks 
abroad  in  the  city,-  and  they  die  by  hundreds,  like  the  Indians 
in  a  hard  winter.  The  hunter  avoids  both  extremes  :  he  lays 
up  provisions  for  the  winter,  but  does  not  accumulate  so  much 
property  as  to  tempt  the  Indian  to  rob,  or  the  lawyer  to 
fleece  him.  It  makes  me  sorry  when  I  go  into  the  settle- 
ments, where  the  people  are  getting  so  crowded  that  there  is 


258  LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 

no  comfort,  and  where  there  is  so  much  strife.  It  is  so  with 
all  animals :  confine  cattle  in  a  yard  and  they  will  hook  each 
other,  or  chickens  in  a  coop,  and  they  will  peck  out  each 
other's  eyes.  But  there  is  no  slopping  them ;  the  pedlar's 
carts  will  be  along  over  this  very  spot  before  many  years,  and 
the  time  will  come  when  there  will  not  be  a  buffalo  in  Ken- 
tucky. It  is  bad  enough  now.  There  are  settlements  already 
where  a  woodsman  cannot  find  his  way  for  the  roads  and 
farms." 

At  this  moment  the  tread  of  a  horse  was  heard.  The 
hunter  threw  his  rifle  over  his  arm,  and  stepped  behind  a  large 
tree  to  be  prepared  for  friend  or  foe.  In  a  moment,  Edward 
Overtoil  made  his  appearance,  dashing  along  the  war-path. 
His  horse  was  panting  and  covered  with  foam,  his  dress  torn, 
and  his  countenance  haggard.  The  hunter  emerged  from  his 
concealment  to  meet  him.  They  were  strangers  to  each 
other,  but  no  time  was  lost  in  useless  ceremony  or  unneces- 
sary questions,  and  Edward  soon  related  the  catastrophe  of 
the  preceding  evening. 

"  Mr.  Singleton's  daughter,  eh  ?"  said  the  hunter  coolly  ; 
"  I  have  heard  tell  of  the  gentleman,  though  I  never  saw  him. 
Very  much  of  a  gentleman,  I  expect — he  came  from  Culpep- 
per — I  killed  a  deer  once  in  sight  of  his  plantation — though  I 
never  saw  the  man  to  know  him.  Well,  the  way  these  In- 
dians act  is  curious." 

"Shocking!"  exclaimed  the  youth,  "this  atrocious  act  ex- 
ceeds all  former  outrages." 

"  Well,  I  can't  say  as  for  that,"  replied  the  hunter,  "  though 
I  am  sorry  for  the  young  woman — they  took  my  own  daughter 
once,  and  I  feel  for  another  man's  child.  But  where  is  your 
company  ?" 

"  I  became  separated  from  them  in  the  woods,  and  acci- 
dentally struck  this  path." 

The  hunter  then  related  what  he  had  seen,  and  the  youth, 
elate  with  new  hope,  urged  an  instant  pursuit. 


THE   BACKWOODSMAN.  259 

"There  are  six  or  seven  of  them,  and  but  two  of  us,"  said 
the  hunter. 

"No  matter  if  there  were  a  hundred,"  replied  the  impa- 
tient Overton,  "  she  is  suffering  agony,  and  every  moment  is 
precious.  Even  now  she  may  be  at  the  stake." 

"  That  is  true.  The  savages  treat  their  prisoners  very  ri- 
diculous sometimes.  But,  young  gentleman,  I  see  you  carry  a 
fine-looking  rifle, — can  you  handle  it  well." 

"  As  well  as  any  man.  Never  fear  me — I  will  stand  by 
you.  I  would  die  a  thousand  deaths  for  that  dear  girl." 

"  I  reckon  you  would  ;  I  see  it  in  your  eye.  If  there  is 
not  good  Virginia  blood  in  you,  I  am  mistaken.  The  misfor- 
tune is,  that  a  man  can  only  die  once,  however  willing  he 
may  be  to  try  it  over  again.  Well,  there  is  nothing  gained 
without  risk — and  I  feel  for  this  poor  child.  Don't  be  in  a 
fret,  young  man,  I  am  just  waiting  to  let  you  take  breath.  I 
will  go  with  you  provided  you  will  obey  my  instructions. 
Now,  mark  what  I  say  ;  hitch  your  horse  to  that  tree,  and 
leave  him — examine  your  priming  and  pick  your  flint — then 
fall  into  my  track,  tread  light,  keep  a  bright  eye  out,  and  say 
nothing.  JL-WJ11  be  curious  if  we  two  cannot  out-general  a 
lia!f-a-(lozon  naked  Mingoes." 

The  former  apathy  of  the  hunter's  manner  had  entirely 
vanished.  The  excitement  was  sufficient  to  call  out  his  ener- 
gies. His  eye  was  lighted  up  with  martial  ardour,  his  lips 
were  compressed,  and  his  step  firm  and  elastic.  Without 
waiting  for  farther  parley,  he  dashed  forward  with  a  rapid 
stride,  followed  by  his  young  and  not  less  gallant  companion. 
With  unerring  sagacity  he  struck  at  once  into  the  trail  of  the 
enemy.  "Here  is  plenty  of  Indian  sign"  said  he,  pointing 
to  the  ground,  where  the  youth  could  see  nothing,  "  and  a 
beautiful  plain  track  it  is — almost  as  plain  as  some  of  the 
roads  in  the  Old  Dominion — there  is  the  place  where  they 
crossed  the  branch,  on  that  log,  and  here  is  the  print  of  a 
woman's  foot,  a  small  slender  foot  with  a  shoe  on,  such  as  the 


260  LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 

ladies  wear  in  the  old  settlements — it  is  narrower  than  our 
women's  shoes  that  we  make  in  these  parts — there  is  the  other 
foot  without  a  shoe — she  has  lost  one,  poor  thing — and  there 
is  a  drop  of  blood  on  that  leaf!" 

Overtoil  groaned,  the  tears  started  from  his  eyes,  and  his 
limbs  trembled  with  emotion. 

"  Keep  cool,  young  man — be  a  soldier — no  one  can  fight 
when  he  is  in  a  passion.  Blood  for  blood  is  the  backwoods- 
man's rule.  We  shall  have  them  at  the  first  halt  they  make. 
They  cannot  travel  all  the  time,  without  stopping,  no  more 
than  white  folks." 

The  hunter  now  advanced  with  astonishing  rapidity,  for 
although  his  step  seemed  to  be  deliberate,  it  had  a  steadiness 
and  vigour  which  yielded  to  no  obstacle.  His  course  was  as 
direct  as  the  flight  of  a  bee,  and  his  footsteps,  owing  to  a  pecu- 
liar and  habitual  mode  of  walking,  were  perfectly  noiseless, 
except  when  the  dry  twigs  cracked  under  the  weight  of  his 
body.  His  eye  was  continually  bent  on  the  ground,  at  some 
distance  in  advance  of  his  course ;  for  he  tracked  the  enemy, 
not  so  much  by  the  foot-prims  on  the  soil,  as  by  the  derange- 
ment of  dry  leaves  or  growing  foliage.  The  upper  side  of 
a  leaf  is  of  deep  green  colour  and  glossy  smoothness ;  the 
under  side  is  paler,  and  of  a  rougher  texture,  and  when  turned 
by  violence  from  its  proper  position,  it  will  spontaneously 
return  to  it  in  a  few  hours,  and  again  expose  the  polished  sur- 
face to  the  rays  of  light.  The  hunter  is  aware  of  this  fact, 
and  in  attentively  observing  the  arrangement  of  the  foliage 
of  the  tender  shrubs,  discovers,  with  wonderful  acuteness, 
whether  the  leaves  retain  their  natural  position.  So  true  is 
this  indication,  that  where  the  grass  is  thick  and  tangled,  a 
track  of  lighter  hue  than  the  general  surface  may  be  distinctly 
seen  for  honrs  after  the  leaves  have  been  disturbed.  The  occa- 
sional rupture  of  a  twig,  and  the  displacing  of  the  branches  in 
the  thickets  afford  additional  signs ;  and  in  places  where  the 
ground  is  soft,  the  foot-prints  are  carefully  noticed.  Other 


THE   BACKWOODSMAN.  261 

cares,  also,  claimed  the  attention  of  the  woodsman.  His 
vigilant  glance  was  often  thrown  far  abroad.  He  approached 
every  covert,  or  place  of  probable  concealment,  with  caution, 
and  sometimes  when  the  trail  passed  through  dangerous  de- 
files, where  the  enemy  might  be  lurking,  suddenly  forsook  it, 
and  taking  a  wide  circuit,  struck  into  it  again  far  in  advance. 
Thus  they  proceeded  for  three  hours,  with  unremitting  dili- 
gence and  silence,  when  the  pioneer  halted. 

"  Here  are  fresh  signs,"  said  he,  "  the  enemy  are  at  hand  ; 
sit  down  and  let  us  take  breath." 

The  youth,  whose  confidence  in  his  guide  was  now  com- 
plete, obeyed  in  silence.  The  hunter  again  examined  his 
arms. 

"  This  is  a  charming  piece,"  said  he,  in  a  low  voice,  "  she 
never  misses  when  she  has  fair  play.  It  is  a  pleasant  thing  to 
hare  a  gun  that  will  not  deceive  you  in  the  hour  of  danger. 
But  then  a  man  must  do  his  duty,  and  have  every  thing  in 
order." 

Overton  had  been  accustomed  all  his  life  to  hunt  occasion- 
ally for  amusement.  He  was  a  young  man  of  considerable 
muscular  powers,  and  possessing  the  high  spirit  and  the  apti- 
tude in  the  use  of  weapons,  which  are  so  characteristic  of  the 
youth  of  his  country,  was  no  mean  proficient  in  the  exercises 
of  the  forest.  He  now  followed  the  example  of  his  guide. 
They  laid  aside  their  coats  and  hats,  drew  their  belts  closely, 
and  began  to  advance  slowly,  taking  every  step  with  such 
caution  as  not  to  create  the  slightest  sound.  They  soon 
reached  the  summit  of  a  small  eminence,  when  the  backwoods- 
man halted,  crouched  low,  and  pointed  forwards  with  his  fin- 
ger. Overton  followed  with  his  eye  the  direction  indicated, 
and  beheld  with  emotions  of  indescribable  delight,  mingled 
with  agony,  the  object  of  his  pursuit. 

At  the  root  of  a  large  tree  sat  the  Indians,  hideously 
painted,  and  fully  equipped  for  battle,  voraciously  devouring 
their  hasty  meal.  At  a  few  yards  distant  from  them  knelt 


262  LEGENDS   OF   THE    WEST 

Ellen,  in  the  posture  already  described,  awaiting  her  fate 
with  all  the  courage  of  conscious  innocence  and  all  the  resig- 
nation of  fervent  piety.  Overton's  emotion  was  so  great  that 
the  hunter  with  difficulty  drew  him  to  the  ground,  while  he 
hastily  whispered  the  plan  of  attack,  a  part  of  which  had  been 
concerted  at  their  recent  halt.  "  Let  us  creep  to  yon  log,  and 
rest  our  guns  on  it  when  we  fire.  I  will  shoot  at  that  large 
warrior  who  is  standing  alone — you  will  aim  at  one  of  those 
who  are  sitting ;  the  moment  we  have  fired  we  will  load  again, 
without  moving,  shouting  all  the  while,  and  making  as  much 
noise  as  possible ; — be  cool — my  dear  young  friend — be  cool. 
Take  it  quiet  and  comfortable."  Overtoil  smothered  his  feel- 
ings, and  during  the  conflict  emulated  the  presence  of  mind  of 
his  companion. 

They  crept  on  their  hands  and  knees  to  the  fallen  trunk  of 
a  large  tree,  which  lay  between  them  and  the  enemy,  and 
having  taken  a  deliberate  aim,  the  hunter  gave  the  signal,  and 
both  fired.  Two  of  the  savages  fell,  the  others  seized  their 
arms,  while  the  heroic  Kentuckians  reloaded,  shouting  all  the 
while.  Ellen  started  up,  uttering  a  shriek  of  joy,  and  rushed 
towards  her  friends.  Two  of  the  enraged  Indians  pursued, 
with  the  intention  of  despatching  her,  before  they  should 
retreat.  Edward  Overton  and  his  companion  rushed  to  her 
assistance.  One  of  the  Indians  had  caught  her  long  hair, 
which  streamed  behind  her  in  her  flight,  and  his  tomahawk 
glittered  above  his  head,  when  Edward  rushed  between  them 
and  received  the  blow,  diminished  in  force,  on  his  own  arm. 
Undaunted,  he  threw  himself  on  the  bosom  of  the  savage,  and 
they  rolled  together  on  the  ground  in  fierce  conflict.  The 
hunter  advanced  upon  his  adversary  more  deliberately,  and, 
practising  a  stratagem,  clubbed  his  rifle.  The  Indian,  deceived 
into  the  belief  that  his  piece  was  not  charged,  stopped,  and 
was  about  to  throw  his  tomahawk,  when  the  backwoodsman, 
adroitly  bringing  the  gun  to  his  shoulder,  shot  him  dead. 
Two  other  foemen  remained,  and  were  rushing  upon  the  intrepid 


THE    BACKWOODSMAN.  263 

hunter,  when  the  latter  perceiving  that  the  struggle  between 
Overtoil  and  his  antagonist  was  still  fierce  and  doubtful,  has- 
tened to  his  assistance,  and  with  a  single  blow  of  his  knife, 
decided  the  combat.  Edward  sprung  up,  reekffift  with  blood, 
and  stood  manfully  by  his  friend,  prepared  for  a  new  encoun- 
ter ;  but  the  parties  being  now  equal  in  number,  the  two  re- 
maining savages  retreated. 

In  another  moment  Miss  Singleton  was  in  the  arms  of  the 
heroic  Overtoil.  We  shall  not  attempt  to  describe  the  joy  of 
the  two  lovers.  Ellen,  who  had  thus  far  sustained  herself  with 
a  noble  courage,  and  whose  resignation  to  her  fate,  dictated 
by  an  elevated  principle  of  religious  confidence,  had  won  the 
admiration  of  her  savage  captors,  and  perhaps  preserved  her 
life,  now  felt  the  tender  affections  of  the  woman  resuming 
their  gentle  dominion  in  her  bosom.  The  faith,  the  hope 
which  had  supported  her,  though  resulting  from  rational  deduc- 
tions, had  been  almost  superhuman  in  their  operation  ;  but 
the  gratitude  to  Heaven  that  now  swelled  her  heart,  and  burst 
in  impassioned  eloquence  from  her  lips,  was  warm  from  the 
native  fountains  of  sensibility.  Sudden  deliverance  from  all 
the  horrors  by  which  she  had  been  surrounded,  was  in  itself 
sufficiently  joyful;  but  it  came  infinitely  enhanced  in  value, 
when  brought  by  the  hand  of  her  lover ;  and  when  Edward 
Overton  found  that,  though  fatigued  and  bruised,  she  had  suf- 
fered no  material  injury,  his  joy  knew  no  bounds. 

As  for  the  hunter  he  was  engaged,  like  a  prudent  general, 
in  securing  the  victory.  He  had  carefully  reloaded  his  gun^ 
and  having  with  his  dog  pursued  the  fugitives  for  a  short  dis- 
tance, to  ascertain  that  they  were  not  lurking  near,  began  to 
inspect  the  bodies  of  the  slain  and  collect  their  arms. 

"  Not  a  bad  morning's  work,"  said  he,  "  here  are  four  ex- 
cellent guns,  tomahawks,  and  knives.  Some  of  our  people 
want  arms  badly,  and  these  will  just  suit." 

As  he  surveyed  the  field  of  battle,  a  flush  of  triumph  was 
on  his  cheek  ;  but  it  was  evident  that  his  paramount  feelings 


264  LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 

were  those  of  a  benevolent  nature,  and  that  his  sympathies 
were  deeply  enlisted. 

"  There  they  sit,"  said  he,  glancing  at  the  young  couple, 
"as  happy  as  a  pair  of  blackbirds  in  a  new  ploughed  furrow. 
This  has  been  a  sorrowful  night  to  both  of  them,  but  they 
will  look  back  to  it  hereafter  with  grateful  hearts.  They  did 
not  know  before  how  much  they  thought  of  each  other." 
He  then  approached  the  young  lady,  and  with  the  kindness 
of  a  father  inquired  into  her  sufferings  and  wants,  and  be- 
gan to  provide  for  her  comfort. 

In  a  few  minutes  a  shout  was  heard,  and  another  hunter, 
clad  like  the  first,  joined  them.  "  Ah,  here  you  are,"  ex- 
claimed the  new  comer,  as  he  gazed  at  the  scene  of  action ; 
"  the  work's  all  done,  and  here's  the  Speckled  Snake  as  cold 
as  a  wagon  tire.  I  have  been  on  the  trail  all  the  morning." 

"  Pity  but  you  had  been  here,"  replied  the  first  hunter, 
"  we  have  had  a  smart  brush,  I  assure  you." 

"  A  pretty  chunk  of  a  fight,  I  see ;  there's  no  two  ways 
about  that.  I  knew  the  crack  of  your  rifle  when  I  heard  it, 
and  hurried  on.  But  I  couldn't  get  here  no  sooner,  no  how. 
Well,  there's  always  plenty  of  help  when  it's  not  wanted. 
The  woods  is  alive  with  rangers." 

"  Is  my  father  among  them  ?"  inquired  Miss  Singleton. 

"  Oh,  yes — and  the  old  gentleman  is  coming  along  pretty 
pearl,  I  tell  you.  I  took  a  short  cut  about  a  mile  back,  and 
left  them.  I  never  saw  such  a  turn  out,  no  how.  The  camp- 
ground  was  emptied  spontenaciously  in  a  few  minutes  after 
the  news  came.  How  do  you  stand  it,  Miss  ?" 

"  I  am  dreadfully  bruised,  but  no  bones  are  broken,"  re- 
plied Ellen,  smiling. 

" That  is  a  mere  sarcumstance"  replied  the  rough  son  of 
the  forest,  waving  his  hand ;  "  it's  a  mercyv_Miss,  that  the 
cowardly  varments  hadn't  used  you  up  body-aciously.  These 
Mingoes  act  mighty  redicTc'lous  with  women  and  children. 
They  aint  the  raal  true  grit,  no  how.  Vile  on  them  !  they 


THE   BACKWOODSMAN.  265 

_bej?ssentially,  and  particularly,  and  tee-totally  obflis- 
ticated  offoT  the  face  ot  the  wKofiTyeatfjJ' 
tf;  jk.  party  of  horsemen  now  arrived,  among  whom  was  Mr. 
Singleton.  A  litter  was  soon  prepared  for  the  rescued  lady, 
who  was  borne  on  the  shoulders  of  men,  in  joy  and  triumph, 
to  the  settlement,  and  found  herself  repaid  for  her  sufferings 
by  the  assiduous  attentions  and  affectionate  congratulations 
of  her  friends  and  neighbours.  When  Mr.  Singleton  had 
heard  the  particulars  of  the  rescue,  he  pressed  the  happy 
Overton  to  his  bosom,  and  looked  round  for  the  brave  hunter, 
to  whom  he  owed  so  deep  a  debt  of  gratitude,  but  he  was  no 
where  to  be  seen.  On  the  arrival  of  the  horsemen,  he  had 
given  the  trophies  of  the  fight  in  charge  to  one  of  them,  and 
retired  with  his  companion.  Mr.  Singleton  was  deeply  cha- 
grined, for  he  felt  a  sense  of  obligation  to  the  generous  back- 
woodsman, which,  as  he  knew  that  no  other  compensation 
would  be  received,  he  wished  to  acknowledge. 

"  Where  can  he  have  gone  ?"  exclaimed  he,  "  I  must  see 
him  !" 

"  You  will  hardly  have  that  pleasure  to-day,"  replied  one 
of  the  company.  "  No  one  ever  saw  him  sitting  down  to 
chat  when  there  were  Indians  about.  He  is  on  the  trail  of 
the  two  that  fled,  and  will  have  them  before  he  sleeps." 

No  sooner  was  this  communication  made,  than  a  party  set 
out  to  join  in  the  pursuit,  and  it  was  afterwards  understood 
that  they  overtook  the  veteran  pioneer,  only  in  time  to  par- 
ticipate in  the  last  scene  of  the  tragedy  of  that  eventful 
day. 

Ellen  Singleton  recovered  her  health  rapidly,  and  the  wed- 
ding took  place  on  the  day  that  had  been  appointed.  Agreea- 
bly to  the  hospitable  custom  of  this  country  a  general  invita- 
tion was  given,  and  the  whole  neighbourhood  was  assembled. 
They  had  already  collected  when  Mr.  Singleton  joined 
them  in  company  with  the  veteran  woodsman,  the  most  con- 
spicuous character  in  this  legend.  He  was  now  dressed  like 
12 


266  LEGENDS   OF  THE   WEST. 

a  plain  respectable  country  gentleman.  His  carriage  was 
erect,  and  his  person  seemed  more  slender  than  when  cased 
in  buckskin.  Though  perfectly  simple  and  unstudied  in  his 
manners,  there  was  nothing  in  them  of  the  clownish  or  bash- 
ful, but  a  dignity,  and  even  an  ease  approaching  to  graceful- 
ness. His  countenance  was  cheerful  and  benevolent,  and  in 
his  fine  eye  there  was  a  manly  confidence  mingled  with  a 
softness  of  expression  which  afforded  a  true  index  of  the  char- 
.acter  of  the  man.  His  hair,  a  little  thinned  and  slightly  sil- 
vered with  age,  gave  a  venerable  appearance  to  his  otherwise 
vigorous  and  elastic  form.  His  agreeable  smile,  his  well- 
known  artlessness  of  character  and  amiability  of  life,  as  well 
as  his  public  services,  rendered  him  a  universal  favourite,  and 
his  entrance  caused  a  murmur  of  pleasure. 

"  I  have  had  some  trouble,"  said  Mr.  Singleton,  "  in  find- 
ing our  benefactor,  whose  modesty  is  as  great  as  his  other 
good  qualities.  But  as  the  happiness  of  this  occasion  would 
have  been  incomplete  without  him,  I  have  persevered.  And 
now,  my  friends  and  neighbours,  allow  me  to  acknowledge 
publicly  my  gratitude  for  his  intrepid  conduct  on  the  late 
mournful  occasion,  when  my  only  child  was  rescued  from  a 
dreadful  captivity  by  his  generous  interference ;  and  to  exert 
the  last  act  of  my  parental  authority  by  decreeing  that  the 
first  kiss  of  the  bride  shall  be  given  to  the  pioneer  of  the 
west — the  PATRIARCH  OF  KENTUCKY." 

"  Thank  you,"  replied  the  veteran,  "  but  as  I  have  no  wish 
to  take  such  a  liberty  with  any  gentleman's  wife,  I  shall  apply 
now  for  my  reward  to  Miss  Singleton,  leaving  it  to  Mrs. 
Overton  to  compensate  a  certain  brave  young  gentleman,  to 
whom  she  owes  a  great  deal  more  than  to  me." 

And  so  the  matter  was  settled,  greatly  to  the  satisfaction 
of  all  parties. 


THE  DIVINING  ROD. 


ON  a  pleasant  evening  in  the  autumn  of  the  year  18 — ,  two 
travellers  were  slowly  winding  their  way  along  a  narrow 
road  which  led  among  the  hills  that  overhang  the  Cumberland 
river,  in  Tennessee.  One  of  these  was  a  farmer  of  the  neigh- 
bourhood— a  large,  robust,  sun-burnt  man,  mounted  on  a  sleek 
plough-horse.  He  was  one  of  the  early  settlers,  who  had 
fought  and  hunted  in  his  youth  among  the  same  valleys  that 
now  teemed  with  abundant  harvests ;  a  rough,  plain  man  clad 
in  substantial  homespun,  he  had  about  him  an  air  of  plenty 
and  independence  which  is  never  deceptive,  and  which  belongs 
almost  exclusively  to  our  free  and  fertile  country.  His  com- 
panion was  of  a  different  cast — a  small,  thin,  gray -haired  man, 
who  seemed  worn  down  by  bodily  and  mental  fatigue  to 
almost  a  shadow.  He  was  a  preacher,  but  one  who  would 
have  deemed  it  an  insult  to  be  called  a  clergyman  ;  for  he  be- 
longed to  a  sect  who  contemn  all  human  learning  as  vanity, 
and  who  consider  a  trained  minister  as  little  better  than  an 
impostor.  The  person  before  us  was  a  champion  of  the  sect. 
He  boasted  that  he  had  nearly  grown  to  manhood  before  he 
knew  one  letter  from  another ;  that  he  had  learned  to  read 
for  the  sole  purpose  of  gaining  access  to  the  Scriptures,  and, 


268  LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 

with  the  exception  of  the  hymns  used  in  his  church,  had  never 
read  a  page  in  any  other  book.  With  considerable  natural 
sagacity  and  an  abundance  of  zeal,  he  had  a  gift  of  words 
which  enabled  him  at  times  to  support  his  favourite  tenets 
with  a  plausibility  and  force  amounting  to  something  very 
nearly  akin  to  eloquence,  and  which,  while  it  gave  him  un- 
bounded sway  among  his  own  followers,  was  sometimes  not 
a  little  troublesome  to  his  learned  opponents. 

His  sermons  presented  a  curious  mixture  of  the  senten- 
tious and  the  declamatory,  an  unconnected  mass  of  argument 
and  assertion,  through  which  there  ran  a  vein  of  dry  original 
humour,  which,  though  it  often  provoked  a  smile,  never  failed 
to  rivet  the  attention  of  the  audience.  But  these  flashes  were 
like  sparks  of  fire  struck  from  a  rock  ;  they  communicated  a 
life  and  warmth  to  the  hearts  of  others  which  seemed  to  have 
no  existence  in  that  from  which  they  sprung,  for  that  humour 
never  flashed  in  his  own  eye  nor  relaxed  a  muscle  of  his 
melancholy,  cadaverous  countenance.  Yet  that  eye  was  not 
destitute  of  expression  ;  there  were  times  when  it  beamed 
with  intelligence,  moments  when  it  softened  into  tenderness  ; 
but  its  usual  character  was  that  of  a  visionary,  fanatic  enthu- 
siasm. His  ideas  were  not  numerous,  and  the  general  theme 
of  his  declamation  consisted  of  metaphysical  distinctions  be- 
tween what  he  called  "head  religion"  and  "heart  religion," 
the  one  being  a  direct  inspiration,  and  the  other  a  spurious 
substitute  learned  from  vain  books.  He  wrote  a  tract  to  show 
it  was  the  thirst  after  human  knowledge  which  drove  our  first 
parents  from  paradise,  that  through  the  whole  course  of  suc- 
ceding  time  school  laming  had  been  the  most  prolific  source 
of  human  misery  and  mental  degradation,  and  that  colleges, 
bible  societies,  free  masonry,  books,  the  holy  alliance,  and 
the  inquisition,  were  so  many  engines  devised  by  king-craft, 
priest-craft,  and  school-craft  to  subjugate  the  world  to  the 
power  of  Satan.  He  spoke  of  the  millennium  as  a  time 
when  "  there  should  be  no  king,  nor  printer,  nor  Sunday- 


.  ' 

THE   DIVINING    ROD.  269 

school,  nor  outlandish  tongue,  nor  vain  doctrine— when  men 
would  plough,  and  women  milk  the  cows,  and  talk  plain  Eng- 
lish to  each  other,  and  worship  God  out  of  the  fulness  of  their 
hearts,  and  not  after  vain  forms  written  by  men."  In  short, 
this  worthy  man  was  entirely  opposed  to  the  spread  of  reli- 
gious knowledge.  "When  a  man  has  head  religion,"  he 
would  say,  "  he  is  in  a  bad  fix  to  die— cut  off  his  head,  and 
away  goes  his  soul  and  body  to  the  devil."  The  remainder 
of  his  character  may  be  briefly  sketched.  Honest,  humane, 
and  harmless  in  private  life,  impetuous  in  his  feelings,  fearless 
and  independent  by  nature,  and  reared  in  a  country  where 
speech  is  as  free  as  thought,  he  pursued  his  vocation  without 
intolerance,  but  with  a  zeal  which  sometimes  bordered  on  in- 
sanity. He  spoke  of  his  opponents  more  in  sorrow  than  in 
anger,  and  bewailed  the  increase  of  knowledge  as  a  mother 
mourns  over  her  first-born.  He  was  of  course  ignorant  and 
illiterate ;  and  with  a  mind  naturally  vigorous  and  capable  of 
high  attainments,  his  visionary  theories,  and  perhaps  a  slight 
estrangement  of  intellect,  had  left  the  soil  open  to  supersti- 
tion, so  that  while  at  one  time  he  discovered  and  exposed  a 
popular  error  with  wonderful  acuteness,  at  another  he  blindly 
adopted  the  grossest  fallacy.  Such  was  Mr.  Zedekiah  Bangs. 
His  innocent  and  patriarchal  manners  ensured  him  universal 
esteem,  and  rendered  him  famous  far  and  wide,  under  the  title 
of  Uncle  Zeddy  ;  while  his  acknowledged  zeal  and  sanctity 
gained  for  him  in  his  own  church,  and  among  the  religious 
generally,  the  more  reverend  appellation  of  Father  Bangs. 

Our  worthy  preacher,  having  no  regular  stipend — for  he 
would  have  scorned  to  preach  for  the  lucre  of  gain,  cultivated 
a  small  farm,  or  as  the  phrase  is,  raised  a  crop  in  the  summer 
for  the  subsistence  of  his  family.  During  this  season  he  min- 
istered diligently  among  his  neighbours ;  but  in  the  autumn 
and  winter  his  labours  were  more  extensive.  Then  it  was 
that  he  mounted  his  nag,  and  rode  forth  to  spread  his  doc- 
trines, and  to  carry  light  and  encouragement  to  the  numerous 


270  LEGENDS    OF    THE    WEST. 

churches  of  his  sect.  Then  it  was  that  he  travelled  tnou- 
sands  of  miles,  encountering  every  extreme  of  fatigue  and 
privation,  and  every  vicissitude  of  climate,  seldom  sleeping 
twice  in  the-same  bedv  or  eating  two  meals  at  the  same  place, 
and  counting  every  day  lost  in  which  he  did  not  preach  a  ser- 
mon. Gentlemen  who  pursue  the  same  avocation  with  praise- 
worthy assiduity  in  other  countries,  have  little  notion  of  the 
hardships  which  are  endured  by  the  class  of  men  of  whom 
I  am  writing.  Living  on  the  frontier,  where  the  settlements 
are  separated  from  each  other  by  immense  tracts  of  wilder- 
ness, they  brave  toil  and  hunger  with  the  patience  of  the 
hunter.  They  traverse  pathless  wilds,  swim  rivers,  encamp 
in  the  open  air,  and  learn  the  arts,  while  they  acquire  the 
liardihood  of  backwoodsmen.  Such  were  the  labours  of  our 
worthy  preacher  ;  yet  he  would  accept  no  pay  ;  requiring  only 
his  food  and  lodging,  which  are  always  cheerfully  accorded, 
at  every  dwelling  in  the  west,  to  the  travelling  minister. 

Among  his  converts  was  Johnson,  the  farmer,  in  whose 
company  we  found  him  at  the  commencement  of  this  history. 
Tom  Johnson,  as  he  was  familiarly  called,  had  been  a  daring 
warrior  and  a  hunter  in  the  first  settlement  of  this  country. 
When  times  became  peaceable  he  married  and  settled  down, 
and,  as  is  not  unusual,  by  the  mere  rise  in  value  of  his  land 
and  the  natural  increase  of  his  stock,  became  in  a  few  years 
comparatively  wealthy  with  but  little  labour.  A  state  of 
ease  and  affluence  was  not  without  its  dangers  to  a  man  of  his 
temperament  and  desultory  habits ;  and  Tom  was  beginning 
to  become  what  in  this  country  is  called  a  "  Rowdy,"  that  is 
to  say,  a  gentleman  of  pleasure,  without  the  high  finish  which 
adorns  that  character  in  more  polished  societies.  He  "swap- 
ped" horses,  bred  fine  colts,  and  attended  at  the  race  paths ; 
he  frequented  all  public  meetings,  talked  big  at  elections,  and 
was  courted  by  candidates  for  office  ;  he  played  loo,  drank 
deep,  and  on  proper  occasions  "  took  a  small  chunk  of  a  fight." 

Tom  "got  religion"  at  a  camp-meeting,  and  for  a  while 


THE   DIVINING   ROD.  271 

was  quite  a  reformed  man.  Then  he  relapsed  a  little,  and 
finally  settled  down  into  a  doubtful  state,  which  the  church 
could  not  approve,  yet  could  not  conveniently  punish.  He 
neither  drank  nor  swore:  he  wore  the  plain  dress,  kept 
the  Sabbath,  attended  meetings,  and  gave  a  cordial  welcome 
to  the  clergy  at  his  house.  But  he  had  not  sold  his  colts ;  he 
went  sometimes  to  the  race-ground  ;  he  could  count  the  run 
of  the  cards  and  the  chances  of  candidates ;  and  it  was  even 
reported  that  he  had  betted  on  the  high  trump.  From  this 
state  he  was  awakened  by  Father  Bangs,  who  boldly  ar- 
raigned him  as  a  backslider.  "  You've  got  head  religion" 
said  the  preacher,  "  you're  a  Sundav  Christian — on  the  Sab- 
bath you  put  on  a  straight  coat  and  your  long  face,  and  serve 
your  Master — the  rest  of  the  week  you  serve  Satan ;  now  it 
doesn't  take  a  Philadelphia  lawyer  to  tell,  that  the  man  who 
serves  the  master  one  day  and  the  enemy  six,  has  just  six 
chances  out  of  seven  to  go  to  the  devil ;  you  are  barking  up  the 
wrong  tree,  Johnson, — take  a  fresh  start  and  try  to  get  on  the 
right  trail."  Tom  was  convinced  by  this  argument,  became  a 
changed  man,  and  felt  that  he  owed  a  heavy  debt  of  gratitude  to 
the  venerable  instrument  of  his  reformation,whom  he  always  in- 
sisted on  entertaining  at  his  house  when  he  visited  the  neighbour- 
hood. On  this  occasion,  the  good  man  having  preached  in  the 
vicinity,  was  going  to  spend  a  night  with  his  friend  Johnson. 

As  the  travellers  passed  along,  I  am  not  aware  that  either 
of  them  cast  a  thought  upon  the  romantic  and  picturesque 
beauties  by  which  they  were  surrounded.  The  banks  of  the 
Cumberland,  at  this  point,  are  rocky  and  precipitous  ;  some- 
times presenting  a  parapet  of  several  hundred  feet  in  height, 
and  sometimes  shooting  up  into  cliffs,  which  overhang  the 
stream.  The  river  itself,  rushing  through  the  deep  abyss,  ap- 
pears as  a  small  rivulet  to  the  beholder;  the  steamboats, 
struggling  with  mighty  power  against  the  rapid  current,  are 
diminished  to  the  eye,  while  the  roaring  of  the  steam  and  the 
rattling  of  wheels  come  exaggerated  by  a  hundred  echoes. 


272  LEGENDS   OF  THE   WEST. 

The  travellers  halted  to  gaze  at  one  of  these  vessels,  which 
was  about  to  ascend  a  difficult  pass,  where  the  river,  confined 
on  either  side  by  jutting  rocks,  rushed  through  the  narrow 
channel  with  increased  velocity.  The  prow  of  the  boat 
plunged  into  the  swift  current,  dashing  the  foam  over  the 
deck.  Then  it  paused  and  trembled  ;  a  powerful  conflict  suc- 
ceeded, and  for  a  time  the  vessel  neither  advanced  nor  reced- 
ed. Her  struggles  resembled  those  of  an  animated  creature. 
Her  huge  hull  seemed  to  writhe  upon  the  water.  The  rapid 
motion  of  the  wheels,  the  increased  noise  of  the  engine,  the 
bursting  of  the  escape-steam  from  the  valve,  showed  that  the 
impelling  power  had  been  raised  to  the  highest  point.  It  was 
a  moment  of  thrilling  suspense.  A  slight  addition  of  power 
would  enable  the  boat  to  advance, — the  least  failure,  the 
slightest  accident,  would  expose  her  to  the  fury  of  the  torrent 
and  dash  her  on  the  rocks.  Thus  she  remained  for  several 
minutes;  then  resuming  her  way,  crept  heavily  over  the  rip- 
ple, reached  the  smooth  water  above,  and  darted  swiftly  for- 
ward. 

"Them  sort  of  craft  didn't  use  to  crawl  about  on  the 
rivers,  when  we  first  knew  the  country,  brother  Johnson,"  said 
the  preacher. 

"  No,  indeed,"  returned  the  other. 

"And  more's  the  pity,"  continued  the  preacher;  "does 
not  the  apostle  caution  us  against  the  inventions  of  men  ? 
We  had  vain  and  idle  devices  enough  to  lead  our  minds  off 
from  our  true  good,  without  these  smoking  furnaces  of  Satan, 
these  floating  towers  of  Babel,  that  belch  forth  huge  volumes 
of  brimstone,  and  seduce  honest  men  and  women  from  home 
to  go  visiting  around  the  land  in  large  companies,  and  talk  to 
each  other  in  strange  tongues." 

"  I  am  told,"  said  Johnson,  "  that  some  of  them  carry 
tracts  and  good  books,  for  the  edification  of  the  passen- 
gers." 

"  Worse  and  worse  !"  replied  the  preacher ;  "  tracts  !  what 


THE   DIVINING   ROD.  273 

are  they  but  printed  snares  for  the  soul  ?  There  was  no 
printing-office  in  Eden — oh  no  !  and  when  all  the  creatures  of 
the  earth  were  gathered  into  the  ark,  there  was  no  missionary, 
male  or  female.  But  go  thy  way,"  he  exclaimed,  raising  his 
voice,  "  thou  floating  synagogue  of  Satan  !  soon  shall  the 
time  arrive  when  there  shall  be  neither  steamboat,  nor  Sun- 
day-school, nor  other  devices  of  vain  philosophy  !" 

"  Others  of  these  boats,"  said  the  farmer,  "have  cards  and 
music  and  wine,  with  every  sort  of  amusement  on  board." 

"These  are  bad  things,"  returned  the  preacher;  "men 
and  women  should  not  drink  rum,  nor  swear,  nor  gamble,  nor 
make  uncouth  noises  with  outlandish  instruments;  but  all 
these  are  not  so  bad  as  tracts — for  these  former  are  open  ene- 
mies, while  the  latter  catch  a  man's  soul  asleep  under  a  tree, 
and  kidnap  him  when  he  is  camped  out  afar  from  home." 

"In  our  day,  father,  the  merchants  were  well  enough  satis- 
fied to  tote  their  plunder  upon  mules  and  pack-horses.  And 
that  puts  me  in  mind  of  a  story  that  happened  near  about 
where  we  are  riding." 

"  What  is  that,  brother  Johnson  ?" 

"  In  an  early  time  some  traders  were  crossing  the  country, 
and  aimed  to  make  the  river  at  the  ford  just  below  this. 
They  had  a  great  deal  of  money,  all  in  silver,  packed  upon 
mules,  for  in  them  days  we  hadn't  any  of  this  nasty  paper 
money." 

"No — nor  much  of  any  sort,"  said  the  preacher  slyly. 

"If  we  hadn't,"  replied  the  farmer  sturdily,  "we  had 
what  answered  the  purpose  as  well.  I  mind  the  time  when 
tobacco  was  a  legal  tender,  and  'coon-skins  passed  currenter 
than  bank-notes  does  now.  In  them  days,  if  a  man  got  into 
a  chunk  of  a  fight  with  his  neighbour,  a  lawyer  would  clear 
him  for  half-a-dozen  muskrat  skins,  and  the  justice  and  consta- 
ble would  have  scorned  to  take  a  fee.  more  than  just  a  treat  or 
so.  But  you  know  all  that— so  I'll  tell  my  tale  out,  though  I 
reckon  you've  heard  it  before  ?" 
12* 


274  LEGENDS    OF    THE    WEST. 

"  I  think  I  have,"  said  the  other,  "  but  I'd  like  to  hear  it 
again — it  sort  o'  stirs  one  up,  to  hear  about  old  times." 

"  Well,  the  traders  had  got  here  safe  with  their  plunder, 
when  the  news  came  that  Indians  were  about.  There  was  no 
chance  to  escape  with  their  loaded  mules ;  so  they  unloaded 
them,  and  buried  the  money  somewhere  among  these  rocks ; 
and  then  being  light,  made  their  escape.  So  far,  the  old  set- 
tlers all  agree;  but  then  some  say  that  the  Indians  pursued 
on  after  them  a  great  way  into  Kentucky,  and  killed  them  all ; 
others  say  that  they  finally  escaped  :  the  fact  is,  that  the  peo- 
ple never  came  back  after  the  money,  and  it  is  supposed  that 
it  lies  hid  somewhere  about  here  to  this  day." 

"  Has  not  that  money  often  been  searched  after?" 

"  Oh,  bless  you,  yes;  a  heap  of  times.  Many  a  chap  has 
sweated  among  these  rocks  by  the  hour.  Only  a  few  years 
ago,  a  great  gang  of  folks  came  out  of  Kentucky  and  dug 
all  around  here  as  if  they  were  going  to  make  a  crop  ;  but  to 
no  purpose." 

"  And  what,  think  you,  became  of  the  money  ?" 

"  People  say  it  is  there  yet." 

"  But  your  own  opinion  ?" 

"  Why,  to  tell  you  my  opinion  sentimentally,"  replied 
Tom,  winking  and  lowering  his  voice,  "I  don't  believe  in 
that  story." 

"  How  ?"  exclaimed  the  other  incredulously. 

"  It's  just  a  tale — a  mere  noration"  said  Tom,  "  there's  no 
two  ways  about  it." 

"  Indeed  !  how  can  you  think  so  ?" 

"  Why,  look  here,  father  Zedekiah, — I  know  very  well, 
that  every  man,  woman,  and  child,  within  fifty  miles,  thinks 
there  is  certanily  a  vast  treasure  buried  in  these  rocks ;  but 
when  I  almost  as  good  as  know  to  the  contrary,  I  am  not 
bound  to  give  up  my  opinion." 

"  Very  right,  that's  just  my  way  ;  but  let  us  have  your 


,  -y 

THE   DIVINING   ROD.  275 

"  I  have  fought  the  Indians  myself,"  said  the  farmer,  "  and 
I  know  all  their  ways.  They  never  come  out  boldly  into  the 
open  field  and  take  a  fair  fight,  fist  and  skull,  as  Christians 
do ;  but  are  always  sneaking  about  in  the  bushes  studying  out 
some  devilment.  The  traders  and  hunters  understand  them 
perfectly  well ;  the  Indians  and  they  are  continually  practis- 
ing devices  on  each  other.  Many  a  trick  I've  played  on  them, 
and  they  have  played  me  as  many.  Now  it  seems  to  me  to 
be  naleral — just  as  plain  as  if  I  was  on  the  ground  and  saw 
it — that  them  traders  should  have  made  a  sham  of  burying 
money,  and  run  off  while  the  Indians  were  looking  for  it." 

"  That's  not  a  good  argument,  brother  Johnson." 

"  I  have  great  respect  for  your  opinion,"  replied  the  far- 
mer, "  but  on  this  subject  I  have  made  up  my  mind — " 

"  So  have  I/'  interrupted  the  preacher ;  and  reining  his 
horse  he  fell  in  the  rear  of  his  companion,  as  if  determined 
to  hear  no  more. 

Johnson,  in  broaching  this  subject,  had  not  been  aware  of 
the  interest  it  possessed  in  the  mind  of  his  friend.  The  fact 
was,  that  Bangs  in  his  visits  to  this  country  had  frequently 
heard  the  report  alluded  to,  and  it  was  precisely  suited  to 
operate  upon  his  credulous  and  enthusiastic  mind.  At  first 
he  pondered  on  it  as  a  matter  of  curiosity,  until  it  fastened 
itself  upon  his  imagination.  In  his  long  and  lonesome  jour- 
neys, when  he  rode  for  whole  days  without  seeing  a  human 
face  or  habitation,  he  amused  himself  in  calculating  the  proba- 
ble amount  of  the  buried  treasure.  The  first  step  was  to  fix 
in  his  own  mind  the  number  of  mules,  and  as  the  tradition 
varied  from  one  to  thirty,  he  prudently  adopted  the  medium 
between  these  extremes.  He  found  some  difficulty  in  deter- 
mining the  burthen  of  a  single  mule,  but  to  fix  the  number 
of  dollars  which  would  be  required  to  make  up  that  burthen 
was  impossible,  because  the  worthy  divine  was  so  little  ac- 
quainted with  money,  as  not  to  know  the  weight  of  a  single 
coin.  For  the  first  time  in  his  life  he  lacked  arithmetic,  and 


276  LEGENDS   OF    THE   WEST. 

found  himself  in  a  strait  in  which  he  conceived  that  it  might 
be  prudent  to  take  counsel  of  a  friend. 

Near  the  residence  of  the  reverend  man  dwelt  an  indus- 
trious pedagogue.  He  was  a  tall,  sallow,  unhealthy-looking 
youth,  with  a  fine  clear  blue  eye  and  a  melancholy  counte- 
nance,  which  at  times  assumed  a  sly  sarcastic  expression  that 
few  could  interpret.  In  the  winter,  when  the  farmers'  chil- 
dren had  a  season  of  respite  from  labour,  he  diligently  pur- 
sued his  vocation.  In  the  summer  he  strolled  listlessly  about 
the  country,  sometimes  roaming  the  forest  with  his  rifle, 
sometimes  eagerly  devouring  any  book  that  might  chance  to 
fall  into  his  hands.  Between  him  and  the  preacher  there  was 
little  community  of  sentiment ;  yet  they  were  often  together ; 
the  scholar  found  a  source  of  inexhaustible  amusement  in  the 
odd,  quaint,  original  arguments  of  the  divine,  and  the  latter 
was  well  pleased  to  measure  weapons  with  so  respectable  an 
opponent.  They  never  met  without  disputation,  yet  they 
always  parted  in  kindness.  The  preacher,  instead  of  wonder- 
ing with  the  rest  of  the  neighbours,  how  "  one  small  head 
could  carry  all  he  knew,"  derided  the  acquirements  of  his 
friend  as  worse  than  vanity  ;  and  the  latter  respectfully,  but 
stoutly,  maintained  the  dignity  of  his  profession. 

It  was  not  without  many  qualms  of  pride  that  the  worthy 
father  now  sought  the  schoolmaster,  with  the  intention  of 
gaining  information  which  he  knew  not  how  to  get  from  any 
other  source.  Having  once  made  up  his  mind,  he  acted  with 
his  usual  promptness,  and  unused  to  intrigue  or  circumlocu- 
tion, proceeded  directly  to  the  point. 

"  Charles,"  said  he,  "  can  you  tell  me  how  many  dollars  a 
stout  mule  might  conveniently  carry  ?" 

"  Indeed  I  cannot." 

'•'  Do  none  of  your  trumpery  books  treat  of  these 
things?" 

"  They  do  not,  Uncle  Zeddy  ;  but  they  lay  down  the 
principles  upon  which  such  results  may  be  ascertained." 


THE   DIVINING   ROD.  277 

"Very  well  ;  let  us  see  you  resolve  the  question  by  your 
arithmetic." 

"  You  must  give  me  the  data  :  what  is  the  burden  of  a 
mule  ?" 

"  Can't  tell ;  never  backed  one  in  my  life." 

"  Well,  let  us  see  :— we  will  say  that  a  stout  animal  of 
this  class  might  easily  carry  you  and  me,  with  all  our  books, 
money,  and  learning ;  now  we  cannot  rate  our  two  selves  at 
more  than  two  hundred  and  fifty  pounds,  and  for  our  luggage, 
tangible  and  intellectual,  we  may  set  down  ciphers ;  a  dollar 
weighs  an  ounce,  and  there  the  question  is  stated  ;  if  one 
dollar  weighs  one  ounce,  how  many  dollars  will  it  take  to 
make  two  hundred  and  fifty  pounds  ?  Work  it  by  the  rule 
of  three,  and  there  is  the  answer." 

The  preacher's  eyes  glistened  as  he  saw  the  figures  ;  a  long 
deep  groan,  such  as  he  was  in  the  habit  of  heaving  upon  all 
occasions,  whether  of  joy  or  sorrow,  burst  involuntarily  from 
him. 

"  Charles,  my  son,"  said  he,  gasping  for  breath,  and  low- 
ering his  voice  to  whisper,  while  his  eyes,  riveted  upon  the 
sum  total,  seemed  ready  to  start  from  their  sockets,  "  suppose 
there  were  fifteen  such  mules  ?" 

"  In  that  case,"  replied  the  pedagogue  carelessly,  as  he 
multiplied  his  former  product  by  the  sum  named,  "  in  that 
case  the  result  would  be  so  much." 

"  Read  the  figures  to  me,"  said  the  preacher,  groaning 
again,  "  I  am  not  certain  that  I  can  make  them  out." 

"  It  is  only  about  forty -five  thousand  dollars." 

"  Only  !  oh  the  blasphemy  of  learning!  Young  man,  the 
wealth  of  Solomon  was  nothing  to  this — yea,  the  treasures 
of  Nebuchadnezzar  were  as  dust  in  the  balance  compared  with 
this  hoard  !"  and  he  walked  slowly  away,  muttering,  "It  is 
too  much  !  it  is  too  much !" 

It  was  indeed  a  vast  sum !  more  than  the  honest  Zedekiah 
had  ever  thought  or  dreamed  of;  and  to  a  mind  like  his,  confined 


278  LEGENDS   OF   THE    WEST. 

heretofore  to  a  single  subject,  it  developed  a  new,  an  immense 
field  of  speculation.  He  seemed  to  have  opened  his  eyes  upon 
a  new  world.  He  conjured  up  in  his  mind  all  the  harm  that  a 
bad  man  might  do  with  so  much  money  ;  and  trembled  to 
think  that  any  one  individual  might,  by  possibility,  become 
master  of  a  treasure  so  great,  as  to  be  fraught  with  destruc- 
tion to  its  possessor,  and  danger  to  the  whole  community  in 
which  he  lived.  He  thought  of  the  luxury,  the  dissipation, 
the  corruption  that  it  might  lead  to  ;  and  rising  gradually  to 
a  climax,  he  adverted  to  the  ruinous  and  dreadful  conse- 
quences, if  this  wealth  should  fall  into  the  hands  of  some  weak- 
minded,  zealous  man,  who  was  misled  by  false  doctrines : 
how  many  Sunday-schools  it  would  establish,  how  many 
preachers  it  would  educate,  how  many  missionaries  it  would 
send  forth,  to  disseminate  a  spurious  head  religion  throughout 
the  world ! 

Turning  from  this  picture,  he  reflected  on  the  benefits 
which  a  good  man  might  with  all  this  money  confer  on  his 
fellows.  Ah  !  Zedekiah,  now  it  was  that  the  tempter  who 
had  been  all  along  sounding  thee  at  a  distance,  began  to  lay 
a  regular  siege  to  thy  integrity  !  Now  it  was  that  he  sought 
to  creep  into  the  breast,  yea,  into  the  very  heart's  core,  of 
worthy  Zedekiah.  He  had  always  been  poor  and  contented. 
But  age  was  now  approaching,  and  he  could  fancy  a  train  of 
wants  attendant  upon  helpless  decrepitude.  He  glanced  at 
the  tattered  sleeve  of  his  coat,  and  straightway  the  vision  of 
a  new  suit  of  snuffcoloured  broadcloth  rose  upon  his  mind. 
He  thought  of  his  old  wife  who  sat  spinning  in  the  chimney- 
corner  at  home  ;  she  was  lame,  and  almost  blind,  poor  wo- 
man !  and  he  promised  to  carry  her  a  pound  of  tea  and  a 
bottle  of  good  brandy.  In  short,  the  Reverend  Mr.  Bangs 
set  his  heart  upon  having  the  money. 

Such  was  the  state  of  matters,  when  the  conversation 
occurred  that  I  have  just  related.  It  was  again  renewed  at 
Johnson's  house  that  night  after  a  substantial  supper,  and 


THE    DIVINING   ROD.  279 

ended,  as  such  conversations  usually  do,  in  confirming  each 
party  in  his  own  opinion.  Indeed,  the  old  man  had  that  day 
got,  as  he  thought,  a  clue  which  might  lead  to  the  wished-for 
discovery.  He  had  heard  of  an  ancient  dame  who,  many 
years  before,  had  dropped  mysterious  hints,  which  induced  a 
belief  that  she  knew  more  of  this  subject  than  she  chose  to 
tell. 

On  the  following  morning,  the  preacher  rose  early,  saddled 
his  nag  and  rode  forth  in  search  of  the  old. woman's  dwelling, 
without  apprising  any  one  of  his  intention.  He  soon  found 
the  spot,  and  the  object  of  his  search.  She  was  a  poor,  de- 
crepit, superannuated  virago,  who  dwelt  in  a  hovel  as  crazy, 
as  weatherbeaten,  and  as  frail  as  herself.  She  was  crouched 
over  the  fire  smoking  a  short  pipe,  and  barely  turned  her 
head  as  the  reverend  man  seated  himself  on  the  bench  be- 
side her. 

"  It's  a  raw  morning,"  said  the  preacher. 

u  I've  seen  colder,''  was  the  reply. 

"  So  have  I,"  returned  Zedekiah,  and  there  the  tete-a-tete 
flagged.  The  old  man  warmed  his  hands,  stirred  the  fire 
with  his  stick,  and  being  a  bold  man  advanced  again  to  the 
charge. 

"  Pray,  madam,  are  you  the  widow  Anderson?" 

"  That's  my  name  ;  I'm  not  ashamed  to  own  it,"  replied  the 
woman  sullenly." 

"  You're  the  person  then  that  I  was  directed  to ;  I  wished 
to  get  some  information  on  a  particular  subject." 

"  Aye  ;  you're  after  the  money  too,  I  suppose — the  devil's 
in  all  the  men !" 

"The  devil  never  had  a  worse  enemy  than  I  am,"  said  the 
old  man  archly. 

"  I  don't  know  who  you  are,"  replied  the  woman,  "  but 
you  may  travel  back  as  wise  as  you  came." 

The  preacher  mentioned  his  name,  his  vocation,  and  the 
object  of  his  visit.  The  virago,  in  spite  of  her  ill-nature,  was 


280  LEGENDS    OF    THE    WEST. 

evidently  soothed  when  she  learned  that  her  visitor  was  no 
less  a  person  than  the  Reverend  Mr.  Bangs.  "  Who'd  have 
thought  that  the  like  of  you  would  come  on  such  an  errand  7" 
said  she  ;  "  well,  well,  it's  little  I  know,  but  you  are  welcome 
to  that." 

Now  came  the  secret.  The  husband  of  Mrs.  Anderson 
had  been  a  water-witch,  a  finder  of  living  fountains.  These 
he  discovered  by  the  use  of  the  divining  rod,  which  is  well 
known  to  possess  a  virtue  in  the  hands  of  a  favoured  few,  of 
which  it  is  destitute  when  used  by  others.  Anderson  wielded 
the  hazel  twig  with  wonderful  success,  and  became  so  cele- 
brated that  he  was  sent  for  far  and  near  to  find  water.  Inflated 
with  success,  he  became  ambitious  of  higher  distinction  and 
greater  gain.  He  imagined  that  the  same  art  by  which  he 
discovered  subterranean  fountains,  would  enable  him  to  find 
mineral  treasures  in  the  bowels  of  the  earth.  He  fancied  his 
fortune  already  made  by  the  discovery  of  mines  of  precious 
metals  ;  the  hidden  silver  on  the  shores  of  the  Cumberland 
would  of  itself  repay  his  labours.  He  put  all  his  ingenuity 
in  requisition,  and  busied  himself  for  years  in  endeavouring 
to  find  a  wand  that  would  "  work"  in  the  vicinity  of  minerals, 
as  the  ordinary  divining  rod  operates  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
water.  In  the  latter  process,  much  depends  on  the  kind  of 
wood  of  which  the  rod  is  composed ;  the  hazel,  the  peach,  the 
mulberry,  and  a  few  others,  all  of  rapid  growth,  are  the  most 
approved.  Proceeding  upon  the  same  principle,  he  endeav- 
oured to  find  a  tree  or  shrub  which  should  possess  an  attract- 
ive sympathy  for  metals.  Success  at  length  crowned  his 
operations  ;  he  found  a  tree  whose  branches  had  the  desired 
virtue.  He  discovered  veins  of  iron  ore  in  the  surrounding 
hills,  and  had  announced  to  his  wife  that  he  was  on  the  point 
of  finding  the  buried  money,  when  death,  who  respects  a  water- 
witch  no  more  than  a  beggar  or  a  king,  arrested  his  career. 

But  when  she  came  to  speak  of  the  manner  of  his  death, 
her  voice  faltered.  She  had  often  warned  Anderson  that  it 


THE   DIVINING    ROD.  281 

was  dangerous  to  meddle  with  hidden  treasures.  They  were 
generally  protected  by  supernatural  beings,  who  would  not 
allow  them  to  be  removed  with  impunity  ;  and  several  per- 
sons who  had  been  engaged  in  the  same  search,  before  Ander- 
son, had  been  alarmed  by  appearances  which  caused  them  to 
desist.  One  day  he  came  home  to  his  dinner  in  high  glee, 
and  throwing  aside  his  rod,  for  which  he  declared  he  had  now  no 
further  use,  he  swore  he  would  have  the  money  before  he  slept. 
It  was  deposited,  he  said,  in  a  certain  cliff,  which  was  very 
difficult  of  access,  and  which  he  was  determined  to  visit  that 
afternoon.  It  was  midnight  before  he  returned.  He  crawled 
into  his  cabin  and  sunk  with  a  groan  on  the  floor.  His  wife 
struck  a  light  and  hastened  to  his  assistance,  but  he  was  speech- 
less, and  soon  expired.  His  body  was  covered  with  bruises, 
and  the  general  opinion  was  that  he  had  been  precipitated 
from  the  rocks  by  some  invisible  hand. 

The  rod  remained  in  the  possession  of  his  wife,  but  its  exist- 
ence was  a  secret  to  all  others.  Fear  had  prevented  her  from 
ever  trying  its  efficacy,  and  inasmuch  as  it  was  useless  to  her- 
self, she  took  the  wise  and  spirited  resolution  that  no  other 
person  should  profit  by  its  virtues,  and  uniformly  turned  a 
deaf  ear  to  the  applications  frequently  made  by  those  who, 
knowing  the  habits  of  her  husband  and  his  researches  in  re- 
lation to  the  matter,  applied  to  her  for  information.  She  now 
presented  to  the  preacher  the  long-treasured  wand,  the  bark 
^of  which  having  been  peeled  off,  it  was  impossible  to  discover 
from  what  tree  it  had  been  taken. 

For  several  days  after  this  event  the  reverend  man  con- 
tinued to  traverse  the  neighbourhood,  carefully  concealing 
himself  from  observation,  and  exploring  with  tine  metallic  rod 
every  spot  where  it  was  probable  the  treasure  might  be  hid- 
den, and  particularly  the  cliffs  near  to  Anderson's  cabin.  One 
day  he  returned  to  the  house  of  Johnson  with  a  look  of  tri- 
umph, and  desiring  a  private  interview  with  his  host,  informed 
him  that  he  had  found  the  spot !  It  was  so  situated  that  he 


282  LEGENDS    OF   THE   WEST. 

could  not  reach  it  without  assistance,  and  having  described  the 
place  accurately  to  his  friend,  he  concluded  by  offering  him  a 
liberal  share,  if  he  would  accompany  and  aid  him.  To  his 
surprise,  Johnson  briefly  and  peremptorily  refused. 

Offended  at  the  obstinacy  of  the  farmer,  Father  Bangs 
left  his  house.  On  the  road  he  met  a  stranger  travelling  on 
foot,  with  whom  he  entered  into  conversation,  and  finding 
him  prompt  and  intelligent  in  his, replies,  he  engaged  him  as 
an  assistant,  and  appointed  a  spot  at  which  they  were  to 
meet  on  the  following  morning. 

At  the  hour  appointed  Uncle  Zeddy  proceeded  to  the  ren- 
dezvous, where  the  stranger  soon  appeared,  bearing  on  his 
shoulder  an  immense  coil  of  rope.  They  proceeded  to  a  tall 
cliff,  which,  springing  from  the  margin  of  the  river,  towered 
into  the  air  to  the  height  of  two  hundred  feet.  The  summit 
on  which  they  stood  presented  a  table  surface  of  a  rock,  to 
which  they  had  ascended  by  a  gentle  acclivity.  Few  ventured 
to  the  edge  of  that  precipice,  for  its  verge,  projecting  over  the 
river,  overhung  it  at  such  a  fearful  distance  that  the  boldest 
trembled  as  they  looked  into  the  abyss.  The  face  of  the 
precipice  as  viewed  from  the  opposite  shore  seemed  to  be 
nearly  perpendicular,  the  slight  curve  by  which  the  summit 
projected  over  the  water,  being  not  observable  from  that 
direction ;  and  about  one-third  of  the  way  down  might  be 
seen  the  mouth  of  a  cave,  which  was  deemed  inaccessible  to 
all  but  the  birds  of  the  air.  The  preacher,  after  due  consider- 
ation, had  arrived  at  the  conclusion  that  the  money  was  in 
this  cave ;  and  having  fastened  the  cable  about  his  own  waist, 
he  required  his  assistant  to  lower  him  into  the  gulf. 

It  would  have  been  edifying  to  have  seen  the  courage 
with  which  that  old  man  passed  over  the  verge,  and  the  steady 
eye  with  which  he  looked  upon  the  deep  abyss,  the  jutting 
rocks,  and  the  foaming  torrent  below ;  while  his  companion, 
having  passed  the  end  of  the  rope  round  a  tree,  advanced  to  the 
edge  of  the  rock,  and  gazed  after  him  with  wonder.  Uncle 


THE    DIVINING    ROD.  283 

Zeddy  found  no  difficulty  in  descending  :  but  on  getting  oppo- 
site to  the  mouth  of  the  cave,  it  was  no  small  exploit  to 
achieve  an  entrance,  for  as  the  cable  hung  perpendicularly 
from  the  projecting  peak,  he  found  himself  swinging  in  the 
air,  several  feet  in  advance  of  the  face  of  the  rock.  The  only 
chance  for  it,  was  to  swing  in  by  an  horizontal  movement, 
and  to  do  this  it  was  necessary  first  to  give  the  rope  a  motion 
like  that  of  a  pendulum.  It  was  not  easy  to  produce  this 
effect,  for  as  the  preacher  hung  suspended  by  the  middle,  like 
the  golden  fleece,  it  was  difficult  to  throw  his  weight  in  the 
desired  direction.  This,  however,  was  at  last  accomplished  ; 
and,  after  swinging  to  and  fro  half  an  hour,  Uncle  Zeddy  suc- 
ceeded in  grasping  the  rock  at  the  opening^  and  drew  himself 
into  the  cave. 

The  cavern  was  small,  and  our  worthy  adventurer  soon 
satisfied  himself  that  the  cavern  did  not  contain  the  object 
of  his  search.  The  sides  were  all  of  solid  rock,  without  a 
crevice  or  other  place  of  concealment.  Being  ready  to  re- 
turn, he  gave  the  signal  agreed  upon,  by  jerking  the  rope ; 
he  waited  a  few  minutes  and  jerked  again — and  again — and 
again,  but  without  success.  Was  it  possible  that  his  assistant 
could  be  so  depraved  as  to  abandon  him  ?  He  crept  to  the 
mouth  of  the  aperture,  and  looked  out.  Under  different  cir- 
cumstances he  could  have  enjoyed  the  rushing  of  the  water, 
and  the  pleasant  fanning  of  the  breeze  as  it  swept  along  the 
valley.  But  now  the  wind  seemed  to  murmur  dolefully,  the 
waves  looked  angry,  and  the  cragged  rocks  had  a  fearful  as- 
pect of  danger.  He  shuddered  at  the  thought  of  being  for- 
saken to  die  of  hunger.  He  shouted,  and  his  voice  echoed 
from  rock  to  rock.  An  hour,  and  another  hour,  passed.  A 
steamboat  came  paddling  along,  and  he  screamed  for  help. 
The  crew  looked  up  ;  they  saw  the  cable,  and  a  man's  head 
peeping  out  of  the  cavern  at  a  dizzy  height  above  them,  and 
shouted  loud  in  admiration  of  his  daring  exploit.  He  waved 
his  neckcloth  in  the  air  and  uttered  piteous  cries,  but  they 


284  LEGENDS   OP  THE   WEST. 

understood  him  not,  and  only  shouted  and  laughed  the  louder 
as  they  beheld  what  they  supposed  to  be  the  antic  bravadoes 
of  some  daring  hunter.  The  boat  passed  on.  Night  came, 
and  he  gave  himself  up  for  lost.  The  sun  rose  and  he  was 
still  a  prisoner.  The  morning  wore  away  wearily  ;  loss  of 
sleep,  hunger  and  terror,  had  nearly  worn  the  old  man  out — 
when  he  felt  the  rope  move !  A  thrill  of  joy  passed  through 
his  chilled  frame.  He  sprung  to  his  feet  and  jerked  it  vio- 
lently. The  signal  was  successful ;  he  felt  that  a  strong  and 
steady  arm  was  drawing  him,  as  it  were,  from  the  grave,  into 
the  regions,  of  the  living.  In  a  few  minutes  he  passed  over 
the  verge,  and  found  himself  in  the  arms  of  Johnson.  The 
latter,  alarmed  at  the  unusual  length  of  his  friend's  absence, 
had  set  out  in  search  of  him,  and  knowing  his  plan  of  visiting 
the  cave,  had  hastened  to  this  spot,  where,  finding  the  cable 
attached  to  a  tree,  he  was  so  fortunate  as  to  save  the  life  of 
his  friend  in  the  manner  described.  The  assistant  had 
absconded  with  the  preacher's  horse. 

When  Father  Bangs  was  a  little  recovered  from  his  terror, 
he  said,  "  I  have  not  found  what  I  went  for,  but  I  have  dis- 
covered something  that  convinces  me  I  am  not  far  from  the 
spot.  It  was  here  that  Anderson  met  his  fate." 

"  How  did  you  find  that  out  ?  there  was  a  heavy  fall  of 
rain  the  night  of  his  death,  and  we  could  afterwards  find  no 
marks  to  satisfy  us  where  he  fell. 

"  As  I  passed  over  the  edge  of  the  cliff  I  found  this  watch 
lying  in  the  crevice  of  the  rock.  It  seems  to  have  been  a  long 
time  exposed  to  the  weather,  and  must  have  been  in  Ander- 
son's pocket  when  the  demon,  or  whatever  it  was,  cast  him 
over." 

"  You  still  believe  in  this  story,  then  T 

"  I  have  seen  nothing  to  shake  my  belief;  but  I  begin  to 
feel  sort  o'  dubious  that  if  there  be  any  money  buried  here,  it 
is  not  altogether  lawful  for  any  but  the  right  heirs  to  search 
after  it.  Anderson  was  punished  for  making  the  attempt, 


THE   DIVINING    ROD.  285 

and  you  see  what  a  fix  I  am  in.  This  thought  came  over  me 
while  I  lay  confined,  and  I  trembled  for  the  young  man  whom 
I  left  on  the  rock,  lest  he  should  have  been  spirited  away  or 
brought  to  an  untimely  end." 

"  He  has  been  spirited  away  by  that  good  horse  of  yours, 
and  if  he  ever  comes  to  a  violent  death  it  will  be  under  the 
gallows." 

"  Well,  be  it  so  ;  but  my  own  confinement  and  suffering, 
I  cannot  but  think,  was  meant  as  a  punishment." 

"Have  your  own  way,"  said  the  farmer;  "  if  you  do  but 
quit  money-hunting,  I  am  satisfied  ;  but  I  must  say,  when  I 
hear  you  talk  of  spirits  and  such  like,  that  I  am  sorry  to  find 
you  are  still  barking  up  the  wrong  tree. 


THE   SEVENTH  SON 


P  HAD  a  classmate  at  college  whose  name  was  Jeremy 
-*-  Geode.  Circumstances  threw  us  together  at  that  time, 
and  we  became  attached  friends.  We  occupied  the  same 
room  and  the  same  bed,  and  freely  communicated  to  each 
other  our  most  secret  thoughts.  I  am  not  philosopher  enough 
to  account  for  the  principle  of  attraction  which  operated  upon 
us ;  tiie  adhesion  was  very  strong,  but  the  cause  that  produced 
it  was  as  deeply  hidden  from  my  feeble  power  of  perception 
as  the  properties  of  the  loadstone.  I  once  read  a  very  learned 
and  unintelligible  book  of  philosophy,  from  beginning  to  end, 
for  the  purpose  of  finding  out  why  it  was  that  two  human 
beings  should  be  stuck  together  like  particles  of  granite  :  but 
I  had  my  labour  for  my  pains.  The  reason  was  inscrutable ; 
stuck  together  we  were,  and  yet  never  were  two  individuals 
more  unlike  each  other.  We  were  perfect  antipodes,  and  our 
friendship  a  moral  antithesis.  My  readers  will  enter  fully 
into  the  perplexities  which  this  subject  afforded  me,  when  I 
inform  them  that  my  friend  was  dismally  ugly,  while  I  was 
not  only  a  great  admirer  of  beauty,  but  in  my  own  opinion, 
at  least,  very  good-looking.  He  was  a  sloven,  I  was  neat  and 
dressy.  He  loved  books,  I  loved  men — particularly  those  of 


288  LEGENDS   OF  THE   WEST. 

the  feminine  gender.  He  was  devoted  to  figures,  and  so  was 
I — but  then  his  affections  settled  upon  the  figures  of  arith- 
metic and  geometry,  while  mine  were  running  riot  among 
those  of  the  cotillion.  He  was  studious,  grave,  and  unsocial, 
and  I  gay,  volatile,  and  fond  of  company.  I  could  talk  by 
the  hour  about  any  thing,  or  about  nothing,  while  my  friend 
was  taciturn,  seldom  opening  his  remarkably  homely  mouth 
except  to  utter  a  syllogism  or  demonstrate  a  problem.  There 
were  occasions,  it  is  true,  when  his  eloquence  would  burst 
forth  like  the  eruption  of  a  volcano.  I  have  seen  him  rant 
like  a  stump  orator  over  a  geological  specimen,  or  pour  forth 
metaphors  in  all  the  exuberance  of  poetic  phrensy,  while  com- 
menting upon  the  wonders  exhibited  in  the  structure  of  a 
poor,  unfortunate  niusquito  which  had  fallen  into  his  clutches. 
Strange  as  it  may  seem  to  those  who  are  unacquainted  with 
the  organization  of  such  minds,  he  was  a  wit  of  the  highest 
order.  A  sly  inuendo,  a  sententious  remark,  a  playful  sar- 
casm, uttered  with  the  most  inflexible  gravity,  would  excite 
in  others  a  paroxysm  of  laughter,  while  he  was  apparently 
unconscious  of  any  feeling  akin  to  mirth.  That  he  enjoyed 
his  own  exquisite  vein  of  humour  and  the  humour  of  others, 
I  have  now  no  doubt,  for  every  man  who  possesses  any  strong- 
ly-marked faculty  of  the  mind  experiences  a  high  degree  of 
pleasure  in  its  exercise.  But  he  passed  for  a  misanthrope,  an 
unfeeling,  selfish  man.  who,  wrapped  up  in  the  abstraction  of 
his  own  mind,  had  no  sympathies  in  common  with  his  fellow- 
creatures;  and  he  was  willing  to  pass  under  any  character 
which  might  secure  him  from  intrusion,  and  leave  him  at 
liberty  to  pursue  the  leadings  of  his  own  genius.  His  equa- 
nimity under  these  surmises,  and  under  all  the  crosses  of  life, 
was  absolutely  miraculous;  the  truth  was,  that  his  vigorous 
understanding  and  native  good  temper  enabled  him  to  look 
down  upon  the  accidents  that  vex  other  men.  I  alone  sus- 
pected that  he  was  kind  and  generous,  because  I  had  seen  his 
eye  moisten  and  the  rigid  muscles  of  his  face  relax  as  he 


THE   SEVENTH    SON.  289 

perused  the  tender  epistles  of  a  doating  mother ;  though  it 
was  only  in  after  years  that  I  learned  that  he  earned  his  own 
subsistence  and  that  of  his  parent  by  the  labours  of  his  pen, 
while  he  pursued  his  college  studies.  I  could  have  wept 
when  this  fact  came  to  my  knowledge,  and  when  I  recollect- 
ed how  I  had  sometimes  ridiculed  his  parsimonious  habits 
and  his  unceasing  devotion  to  labour. 

Another  trait  in  the  character  of  my  friend  shall  be  chiefly 
noticed.  Although  he  diligently  eschewed  the  company  of 
women,  and  regarded  men  with  careless  indifference,  he 
seemed  so  perfectly  enamoured  of  the  society  of  children  and 
other  irrational  animals,  that  I  sometimes  suspected  him  of 
being  a  believer  in  the  Pythagorean  doctrine  of  transmigration. 
When  fatigued  with  mental  exertions,  he  would  steal  off  to 
join  his  little  playfellows  on  the  green  beyond  the  town. 
which  was  their  place  of  evening  resort.  There  he  would  be 
seen  stretched  upon  the  grass,  gazing  at  them  with  an  eye  of 
interest  and  of  complete  satisfaction.  The  youngsters  quick- 
ly struck  up  an  acquaintance,  and  cleaved  to  him  with  instinct- 
ive affection.  They  soon  learned  to  bring  him  their  hats  and 
coats  to  take  care  of  when  thoy  drew  them  off  for  play;  he 
became  the  umpire  in  their  contests  and  the  peacemaker  in 
their  disputes ;  and  he  might  often  be  seen  with  the  whole 
posse  around  him,  the  smallest  hanging  on  his  knees  and  his 
great  shoulders,  and  the  biggest  forming  a  dense  circle,  with 
open  eyes  and  mouths,  while  he  related  some  strange  legend 
or  explained  the  curious  phenomena  of  nature.  These  facts 
were  not  generally  known  in  college ;  and  it  was  well  for 
him— for  had  the  erudite  and  dignified  Sophomores  detected 
him  in  such  childish  pursuits,  my  friend  Jeremy  Geode  would 
undoubtedly  have  been  put  in  Coventry.  He  had  a  mock- 
ing-bird, too,  in  a  cage,  a  martin-box  at  his  window,  and  an 
industrious  family  of  silk-worms  in  a  small  cabinet.  A  lean, 
hungry,  ferocious-looking  cat,  whose  love  of  mice  or  of  my- 
thology had  brought  her  to  college,  who  had  been  expelled 
13 


It 

290  LEGENDS    OF   THE    WEST. 

from  one  room,  and  kicked  out  of  another,  and  suffered  mar- 
tyrdom in  so  many  shapes,  that,  but  for  the  plurality  of  her 
lives,  she  would  long  since  have  ceased  to  exist,  at  last  took 
refuge  in  our  room.  She  entered  with  a  truly  feline  stealth 
of  tread,  and  sought  concealment  with  the  cowardice  of  con- 
scious felony.  But  no  sooner  did  she  attract  the  eye  of  Jere- 
my, than  a  mutual  attachment  commenced,  a  single  glance 
revealed  to  each  a  kindred  spirit ;  in  a  few  hours  puss  was 
running  between  the  student's  feet ;  before  the  close  of  the 
day  she  was  reposing  in  his  lap,  and  a  firm  friendship  was  ce- 
mented. Under  his  care  she  grew  fat,  social,  and  contented, 
and  justice  requires  me  to  say,  that  a  more  intelligent  or  bet- 
ter behaved  cat  never  inhabited  the  walls  of  a  learned  insti- 
tion. 

After  the  completion  of  our  college  course,  we  commenced 
the  study  of  our  respective  professions.  Now  it  was  that  a 
principle  of  repulsion  began  to  operate,  which  carried  us  per- 
petually in  opposite  directions.  Our  minds,  which  had  here- 
tofore, to  some  extent,  inhabited  the  same  sphere,  began  to 
diverge,  as  it  were,  from  a  common  centre,  so  that  we  entered 
upon  the  great  theatre  of  life  by  different  paths.  My  friend, 
who  was  cautious  and  plodding,  betook  him  to  the  dusty  turn- 
pike of  science,  carefully  noting  the  indications  of  the  innu- 
merable finger-posts  and  mile-stones,  which  have  been  set  up 
by  the  industry  of  sundry  worthy  men  on  either  side  of  that 
great  highway.  He  was  willing  to  reach  the  ultimate  point 
of  his  ambition  by  the  beaten  road,  which  experience  had 
marked  out.  Wisdom's  ways  are  said  to  be  pleasant  ways, 
and  all  her  paths  peace,  and  I  dare  say  he  found  them  so ;  but 
I  must  confess  that  I  had  not  sufficient  taste  to  discern  where- 
in that  peace  and  pleasantness  consisted.  I  betook  myself  to 
that  flowery  path,  which,  without  having  any  particular  source 
or  destination,  meanders  through  the  regions  of  fancy  and  the 
resorts  of  pleasure.  But  I  was  unwilling,  at  first,  to  part  with 
my  friend  ;  I  grieved  to  see  his  youth  withering  in  monastic 


THE  SEVENTH   SON.  291 

seclusion,  and  his  energies  wasted  in  a  severe  course  of  unpro- 
ductive studies. 

'*  What  do  you  expect  to  gain,"  said  I  to  him,  one  day, 
"  by  this  incessant  toil  of  the  mind,  this  rigid  self-denial,  this 
total  abstraction  from  the  ordinary  pursuits  of  youth  ?" 

"  Knowledge  !"  was  his  laconic  reply. 

"  And  will  the  accumulated  stores  of  knowledge  be  worth 
so  dear  a  purchase  1  Are  you  not  acting  the  part  of  the  miser 
who  keeps  up  a  mass  of  useless  wealth,  at  the  expense  of  all 
the  courtesies  of  life,  and  all  its  enjoyments  1  Is  this  a  ra- 
tional way  of  spending  time  ?" 

"  I  like  it,"  said  he. 

I  was  nettled  at  his  perfect  composure.  "  So  does  your 
cat  like  sleep,"  I  exclaimed,  "  and  pardon  me  for  saying  that 
I  see  little  difference" — I  was  going  to  say,  "  between  you 
and  your  cat,"  but  I  had  the  grace  to  modify  the  comparison 
— "  between  dozing  over  the  fire,  or  over  musty  books." 

"  The  books  are  far  from  musty,"  replied  he  very  placidly, 
"  and  as  for  poor  puss,  she  is  quite  happy  and  respectable,  in 
her  way." 

"  But,  my  dear  Geode,  to  what  end  is  this  slavery  of  mind  T' 

"Usefulness." 

"  Usefulness  ?    to  whom,  pray  ?" 

"  To  myself,  to  my  country,  to  mankind." 

"  And  the  reward  1  Come,  tell  us  that.  What  do  you 
expect  in  return  for  becoming  the  benefactor  of  an  ungrateful 
world  ?" 

"  The  approbation  of  good  men  and  of  my  own  conscience." 

He  had  reason  and  virtue  on  his  side,  and  my  logic  would 
hold  out  no  longer.  I  was  awed,  but  not  convinced  ;  and  we 
parted. 

My  friend  studied  medicine,  a  choice  upon  which  I  had 
often  rallied  him  as  growing  out  of  his  love  for  the  occult 
sciences ;  for  with  his  more  solid  acquirements  he  had  min- 
gled an  acquaintance  with  alchemy,  witchcraft,  and  all  the 


292  LEGENDS    OF   THE    WEST. 

mystic  lore  which  is  found  in  black-letter  books.  He  could 
draw  horoscopes  and  tell  fortunes  like  an  adept,  and  so 
gravely  would  he  talk  upon  such  subjects,  that  had  it  not  been 
for  a  lurking  roguishness  of  the  eye,  which  he  could  never 
wholly  command,  I  should  have  feared  that  he  was  in  earnest. 
I  chose  the  science  of  law,  because  this  profession  is  consid- 
ered the  path  to  office  and  honour.  I  had  no  relish  for  the 
drudgery  of  a  practising  attorney.  Framing  declarations 
and  exploring  the  intricacies  of  law  reports  had  no  attractions 
for  me.  My  ambition  soared  higher ;  and  I  imagined,  as 
multitudes  of  young  men  do,  who  crowd  to  the  bar  in  the 
hope  of  leading  a  life  of  ease  and  dignity,  that  my  labours 
would  cease,  and  my  triumphs  begin,  with  my  maiden  speech. 
In  common  with  all  who  have  been  deluded  by  this  fallacy,  I 
have  discovered  my  error.  The  labours  of  the  lawyer  who 
pursues  his  profession  with  energy  are  as  severe  as  those  of 
the  farmer  or  mechanic,  while  his  pecuniary  gains  are  less 
certain.  But  then  the  farmer  is  a  drudge  and  the  mechanic 
is  not  an  esquire.  The  legal  profession  confers  a  patent  of 
gentility  on  its  members ;  they  are  gentlemen  of  the  bar  ;  and 
the  man  who  wishes  to  become  a  gentleman  by  a  short  cut, 
and  to  remain  one  during  life,  has  only  to  procure  a  license 
to  practise  in  a  court  of  record,  which  confers  an  indefeasible 
title  to  that  distinction,  whatever  may  be  the  properties  of  his 
body,  rnind,  or  estate. 

But  I  sat  down,  not  to  write  of  myself,  but  to  indite  the 
veritable  history  of  Doctor  Jeremy  Geode,  who,  having  ob- 
tained his  diploma  with  great  distinction,  emigrated  to  the 
Western  States.  He  called  to  take  leave  of  me,  previous  to 
his  departure.  A  suit  of  mourning  announced  that  he  had  lost 
his  mother,  the  only  human  being  in  memory  of  whom  he 
would  have  thought  it  necessary  to  exhibit  this  outward  sym- 
bol of  grief.  "  I  nursed  her,"  said  he,  "  in  her  last  illness,  and 
received  her  blessing.  It  was  mournful  to  sever  so  dear  a 
tie ;  but  I  felt  that  I  had  gained,  in  her  approbation  of  my  con- 


THE   SEVENTH   SON.  293 

duct,  a  richer  legacy  than  any  that  the  whole  earth  could 
bestow."  He  spoke  of  his  future  prospects  with  confidence, 
though  with  that  peculiar  bashfulness  with  which  a  modest 
young  man,  accustomed  to  seclusion,  faces  the  world  for  the 
first  time.  There  is  no  sight  more  touching  to  a  considerate 
heart,  than  to  behold  a  highly  gifted  and  ingenuous  youth  em- 
barking in  the  voyage  of  life  with  no  companion  but  enter- 
prise and  indigence.  Bright  may  be  his  career  and  noble  his 
triumphs,  but  the  chances  that  those  buoyant  hopes,  those 
modest  graces,  those  virtuous  emotions,  which  render  youth 
so  engaging,  will  be  blighted  by  vice,  by  disappointment,  and 
by  sordid  cares,  are  so  many,  as  to  fill  the  benevolent  heart 
with  trembling  apprehension. 

Doctor  Geode  settled  in  an  obscure  town,  far  in  the  wil- 
derness. It  was  a  village  newly  laid  out  upon  the  borders 
of  an  extensive  prairie  ;  a  beautifully  undulating  plain,  fringed 
with  wood,  and  dotted  with  picturesque  clumps  and  groves 
of  trees.  The  grass,  as  yet  but  little  trodden,  exhibited  its 
pristine  luxuriance,  and  a  variety  of  gorgeous  flowers  enlivened 
the  scene.  The  deer  still  loitered  here,  as  if  unwilling  to  re- 
sign their  ancient  pastures,  and  at  night  the  long  howl  of  the 
wolf  could  be  heard,  mingled  with  the  fearful  screechings  of 
the  owl.  The  village  was  composed  of  log-cabins,  and  was, 
with  the  neighbourhood  around  it,  inhabited  chiefly  by  back- 
woodsmen— a  race  of  people,  who,  delighting  in  the  chase, 
and  devoted  to  their  wild,  free,  and  independent  habits,  pre- 
cede the  advance  of  the  denser  population,  and  keep  ever  on 
the  outskirts  of  society.  Ardent,  hospitable,  and  uncultivated, 
the  stranger  is  as  much  delighted  with  the  cordial  welcome 
he  finds  at  their  firesides,  as  he  is  struck  with  their  primitive 
manners,  their  singular  phraseology,  and  their  original  modes 
of  thinking.  Accustomed  to  long  journeys,  to  frequent 
changes  of  residence,  to  protracted  hunting  expeditions,  to 
swimming  rivers,  and  encamping  in  the  woods,  they  bear 
fatigue  and  exposure  with  the  patience  of  the  Indian  :  their 


294  LEGENDS   OF   THE    WEST. 

figures  of  speech  are  numerous,  and  drawn  from  natural 
objects;  and  they  have  a  fund  of  that  intelligence  which 
arises  from  extensive  wanderings,  from  a  close  observance  of 
nature,  and  from  habits  of  free  discussion,  mingled  with  the 
simplicity  induced  by  the  absence  of  literature. 

A  few  months  passed  away  delightfully  with  Doctor 
Geode.  He  roamed  the  forests  and  the  prairies  with  the 
eagerness  of  one  who  had  fallen  upon  a  new  world,  more  beau- 
tiful than  that  of  his  nativity.  He  walked  and  rode,  hunted 
and  fished,  not  for  sport,  but  in  search  of  scientific  truth.  The 
cabin  which  he  occupied  as  a  study  soon  grew  into  a  museum 
of  natural  curiosities.  Every  day  brought  some  novel  and 
interesting  subject  under  his  investigation.  The  treasures 
of  knowledge  which  he  had  accumulated  over  the  midnight 
lamp,  seemed  now  to  swell  and  burst  forth  into  life,  as  the 
exuberant  flower  springs  from  the  folds  of  the  bud.  The 
world  around  him  was  teeming  with  living  and  beautiful 
illustrations  of  those  abstruse  principles  that  had  been 
gathered  into  his  memory  with  so  much  toil  and  arranged 
with  so  much  care.  Not  a  wind  blew  nor  a  shower  fell, 
not  a  flower  regaled  his  senses  with  its  gaudy  beauties  or 
rich  perfumes,  without  filling  his  mind  with  a  sensation 
of  pleasurable  emotion.  To  him  the  phenomena  of  nature 
were  all  eloquence  and  music  and  symmetry.  He  had 
studied  these  things  in  the  closet  as  mere  abstractions,  but 
now  they  came  before  him  aa  sensible  objects,  bearing  the 
stamp  of  reality,  and  glowing  with  the  freshness  and  beauty 
of  life. 

But  in  the  midst  of  these  pursuits,  my  worthy  friend 
entirely  forgot  to  employ  the  ordinary  means  of  getting  into 
practice.  He  made  no  display  of  his  skill  nor  courted  the 
acquaintance  of  any  of  his  neighbours.  No  flashy  advertise- 
ment extolled  the  merits  of  Doctor  Geode  and  informed  the 
public  that  he  was  their  humble  servant.  A  wily  competitor, 
taking  advantage  of  this  improvidence,  represented  my 


THE   SEVENTH   SON.  295 

erudite  friend  as  an  insane  gentleman,  who  roamed  about 
gathering  roots  and  catching  prairie  flies,  and  the  neighbours 
felt  no  inclination  to  consult  a  mad  doctor.  His  own  habits 
confirmed  these  mercenary  slanders.  His  homely  face  was 
pale  and  sallow  ;  his  thick  black  beard  was  often  allowed  to 
remain  a  whole  week  unshaven ;  and  in  his  total  carelessness 
of  every  thing  relating  to  his  own  comfort,  he  sometimes 
walked  from  his  shop  to  his  lodgings  without  his  hat,  or  with 
one  boot  and  one  shoe.  His  collection  of  stuffed  birds,  im- 
paled insects,  and  pickled  reptiles  might  well  bring  his  sanity 
in  question  with  those  who  could  see  no  advantage  in  this 
hideous  resurrection  of  dead  bodies.  Moreover,  he  had  tamed 
a  crow,  a  bird  held  in  particular  aversion,  in  consequence  of 
its  depredations  upon  the  corn-fields,  and  pronounced  by  a 
popular  verse  to  have  been, 

"  Ever  since  the  world  began, 
Natural  enemy  of  man ;" 

and  a  black  cat,  who  of  her  own  accord  had  taken  up  her 
residence  with  him,  was  his  constant  companion.  He  soon 
found  himself  avoided,  like  a  mad  dog  in  a  populous1  town,  or 
a  freemason  in  the  enlightened  State  of  New  York.  Week 
after  week  rolled  away,  and  not  a  patient  called  the  skill  of 
Doctor  Geode  into  requisition.  He  wondered  at  this  circum- 
stance, and  perplexed  himself  with  vain  endeavours  to  conjec- 
ture the  reason.  He  saw  that  he  was  even  shunned,  but  his 
modesty  as  well  as  his  independence  prevented  him  from  in- 
quiring into  the  cause.  In  the  mean  while  his  finances  were 
•  exhausted,  and  poverty,  with  all  its  inconveniences  and  mor- 
tifications, stared  him  in  the  face. 

There  is  one  truth,  as  regards  the  moral  government  of 
this  world,  to  which  there  are  few  exceptions  ;  it  is  that  good 
deeds  always  have  their  reward.  So  it  happened  to  my 
friend.  He  was  one  day  induced  to  enter  a  solitary  cabin, 
in  the  outskirts  of  the  village,  by  hearing,  as  he  passed,  the 


296  LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 

groans  of  a  person  who  seemed  to  be  in  pain.  A  decent 
widow,  who  supported  a  large  family  by  her  labour,  was  suf- 
fering under  a  high  fever  and  in  a  state  of  delirium.  Beside 
her  sat  a  fair-haired  girl,  about  fourteen  years  old,  the  daugh- 
ter of  a  neighbouring  gentleman,  bathing  her  temples  and 
vainly  endeavouring  to  soothe  her  torture.  Without  asking 
any  questions,  the  humane  physician  rendered  such  assistance 
to  the  sufferer  as  her  case  required ;  nor  did  he  quit  her  bed- 
side till  every  alarrniig  symptom  was  removed.  The  young 
girl,  who  at  first  shrunk  back  in  alarm,  was  soon  drawn  to  his 
assistance  by  the  kindness  of  his  tones,  and  now  witnessed 
his  promptitude  and  success  with  astonishment.  He  con- 
tinued to  attend  from  day  to  day  until  his  patient  was  com- 
pletely restored,  and  then  refused  any  compensation  for  what 
he  considered  a  slight  and  a  voluntary  service.  Being  a'n 
intelligent  woman,  who  had  been  accustomed  to  attend  the 
sick,  she  readily  discovered,  from  his  tender  manner  and 
skilful  prescriptions,  that  he  was  no  ordinary  man  ;  and  she 
now,  in  the  warmth  of  her  gratitude,  revealed  to  him  the  arts 
by  which  his  competitor  had  deprived  him  of  the  confidence 
of  the  public. 

Doctor  Geode  never  did  things  like  other  men.  Instead 
of  getting  angry,  he  was  amused  at  the  ingenuity  of  his  rival, 
and  at  his  own  ridiculous  predicament.  He  was  born  too  far 
east  to  be  overreached  by  a  specious  pretender ;  and  as  his 
necessities  were  at  that  moment  particularly  pressing,  he  soon 
devised  a  plan  for  present  relief,  and  for  the  utter  discomfiture 
of  his  rival.  Although  his  bashfulness  and  habits  of  abstrac- 
tion had  kept  him  aloof  from  an  intercourse  with  his  neigh- 
bours, he  had  not  been  inattentive  to  their  traditions  and 
modes  of  thinking  ;  while  he  spoke  little,  he  had  listened  and 
observed  much.  Some  of  their  superstitions  had  struck  him 
as  remarkably  amusing,  and  he  was  even  then  preparing  an 
essay  on  this  subject.  With  these  landmarks  to  assist  him, 
his  scheme  was  soon  digested.  Having  prepared  a  neat  card, 


THE   SEVENTH  SON.  297 

and  drawn  upon  it  a  circle  and  a  triangle  with  red  ink,  he  pro- 
ceeded to  trace  over  it  several  words  in  the  Greek  character. 
He  then  advertised  that  "  Doctor  Jeremy  Geode,  the  seventh 
son  of  a  celebrated  Indian  doctor,  would  cure  all  diseases,  by 
means  of  the  wonderful  Hygeian  Tablet,  or  Kickapoo  Pana- 
cea, of  which  he  was  sole  proprietor."  It  was  a  happy 
thought !  the  virtues  of  a  seventh  son  have  long  been  well 
known  ;  and  however  our  sturdy  borderers  may  dislike  their 
savage  neighbours,  the  Indian  doctor  has  always  been  in  high 
repute  among  them. 

The  reputed  lunatic  was  at  once  elevated  into  an  inspired 
mediciner  ;  the  crow,  the  black  cat,  and  the  collection  of  nat- 
ural curiosities  became  objects  of  respectful  curiosity.  In 
vain  did  the  regular  physician  of  the  village  denounce  him  as 
an  impostor ;  in  vain  an  incredulous  few  professed  their  en- 
tire disbelief.  The  doors  of  the  seventh  son  were  soon 
crowded  with  the  halt  and  the  sick.  Among  the  first  that 
came  was  Mr.  Jones,  the  father  of  the  fair-haired  girl,  a  gen- 
tleman of  information  and  property ;  a  frank,  hospitable 
man,  who  had  taken  up  a  favourable  opinion  of  the  doctor, 
and  who  became  now,  bv  his  daughter's  account  of  the  inci- 
dent she  had  witnessed,  warmly  engaged  in  his  interest. 
What  passed  at  the  interview  need  not  be  repeated :  Mr. 
Jones  at  its  conclusion  exhibited  evident  symptoms  of  having 
enjoyed  a  hearty  laugh,  and  Doctor  Geode  had  received  some 
new  views  of  Western  character.  They  remained  firm  friends, 
and  Mr.  Jones  never^  spoke  of  the  seventh  son  but  in  terms 
of  high  respect. 

The  success  of  the  mystic  tablet  was  triumphant,  and  its 
fame  spread  far  and  near.  Nauseating  and  dangerous  drugs 
were  decried  as  useless  and  pernicious.  It  even  became  a 
matter  of  general  remark  and  wonder,  that  people  should  be 
so  stupid  as  to  swallow  deadly  poisons,  while  health  could  be 
so  much  more  cheaply  purchased  by  looking  at  a  card. 
Faith  alone  was  requisite  to  give  efficacy  to  the  spell.  It  is 
13* 


298  LEGENDS    OF    THE    WEST. 

true  that  the  charm  sometimes  failed  ;  but  this  was  always 
attributed  to  the  unbelief  of  the  patient,  and  the  doctor  forth- 
with  proceeded  to  treat  such  cases  secundum  artem,  conceal- 
ing the  fact  that  he  used  the  subtile  minerals  of  the  pharma- 
copoeia, and  leaving  the  world  to  suppose  that  he  practised 
only  with  the  simples  gathered  in  his  botanic  excursions. 
The  consequence  was  that  his  practice  spread  not  only  through 
the  country  around,  but  an  immense  number  of  patients 
were  brought  to  him  from  a  distance.  As  for  the  regular 
physician,  he  was  obliged  to  quit  the  village. 

Happening  to  pass  through  that  region,  when  the  fame  of 
Doctor  Geode  was  at  its  zenith,  I  was  astonished  to  hear  the 
name  of  my  old  classmate,  of  whom  I  had  lost  sight  for  some 
years,  coupled  with  miraculous  cures  by  faith;  and  I  deter- 
mined to  pay  him  a  visit.  Muffled  in  my  cloak,  and  dis- 
guised still  further  by  the  alteration  that  time  had  made  in 
my  features,  I  entered  his  dwelling.  It  was  a  spacious  log- 
house,  divided  into  several  apartments,  all  of  which,  except 
one,  were  occupied  by  the  sick.  In  the  audience  room,  if  I 
may  so  call  it,  sat  the  doctor ;  his  black  beard,  which  he  had 
suffered  to  grow,  overhanging  his  breast,  and  his  raven  locks 
almost  concealing  his  features;  while  his  mountainous  nose, 
his  calm  but  piercing  eye,  and  his  sarcastic  lip,  revealed  to 
me,  at  a  glance,  my  former  classmate.  He  was  surrounded 
by  a  group  of  persons  who  sought  relief  from  real  or  imagi- 
nary diseases. 

"  I  have  a  desperate  misery  in  my  side,"  said  one. 

"  I've  got  the  billiards  fever,"  groaned  another. 

"  I  am  powerful  weak"  drawled  a  third. 

"  My  limbs  are  sort  o'  dead  like,"  whined  a  fourth. 

"  Oh,  doctor,  I've  got  the  yaller  janders  powerful  bad  ;  I 
feel  jist  like  I'd  naaterally  die  off;  and  I  can't  hope  myself, 
no  how." 

"  Can  you  cure  the  rheumatiz  1" 

"I've  an  inward  fever." 


THE   SEVENTH  SON.  299 

"  Doctor,  my  peided  cow  is  in  a  desput  bad  fix  with  the 
holler  horn." 

"Ah,  Doctor  Geeho,  you  never  seed  sich  a  poor  afflicted 
crittur  as  I  be,  with  the  misery  in  my  tooth ;  it  seems  like  it 
would  jist  use  me  up  bodyaciously." 

"  Oh,  doctor,  doctor,  I've  got  the  shaking  ager  so  mighty 
bad,  I  aint  no  account,  no  how." 

"  Mr.  Geehead,  I  wish  you'd  look  at  my  boy  ;  he's  got  in 
the  triflingest  way  you  ever  seed  ;  he  can't  la«n  his  book,  and 
does  nothing  but  jeest  tell  lies  and  steal,  study,  all  the  time ; 
he  aint  in  his  right  mind,  no  how." 

"  Canst  thou  minister  to  a  mind  diseased?"  inquired  I  in 
a  feigned  tone.  His  quick  eye,  which  had  more  than  once 
rested  on  me,  since  I  had  entered  the  room,  was  turned  has- 
tily towards  me  in  eager  scrutiny.  Failing  to  penetrate  my 
disguise,  he  civilly  inquired  my  business. 

"  I  know,"  said  I  in  a  mock  heroic  tone,  "  that  knowledge 
is  thy  idol,  usefulness  thy  creed,  the  approbation  of  good  men 
thy  reward.  I  seek  advice." 

"  Your  complaint1?"  he  inquired  in  a  tremulous  voice,  for 
he  more  than  suspected  who  was  his  visitor 

"  The  cacoethes  scribendi." 

"  Oh,  si  sick  omnes  /"  exclaimed  the  seventh  son,  waving 
his  hand  over  his  valetudinarian  levee,  who  stood  gasping  in 
awe  at  this  outlandish  dialogue. 

"  It  hath  afflicted  me  from  my  youth,"  rejoined  I. 

"  Get  you  gone,"  cried  he  in  a  tone  of  grave  sarcasm, 
while  a  joyful  recognition  sparkled  in  his  eye,  "  Get  you  gone, 
it  is  a  loathsome,  incurable  disease,  which  criticism  may  cor- 
rect, but  the  grave  only  can  remove.  It  hath  afflicted  the 
world  for  ages,  carrying  with  it  revilings  and  jealousies  and 
war.  It  maketh  a  man  lean  in  flesh  and  poor  in  substance. 
A  hollow  eye,  a  sunken  cheek,  a  soiled  finger,  and  a  tattered 
coat,  are  its  symptoms." 

"  I  crave  a  private  consultation,  learne.d  doctor,"  said  I, 


300  LEGENDS   OF   THE  WEST. 

and  accordingly,  after  dismissing  his  patients,  he  led  me  into 
his  sanctum  and  embraced  me  with  the  fervour  of  affectionate 
friendship. 

I  remained  with  him  that  day,  and  we  consumed  nearly 
the  whole  night  in  conversation.  After  he  had  recounted  his 
adventures,  I  inquired  how  he,  whose  moral  principles  I  knew 
to  be  rigid,  could  justify  himself  in  assuming  a  character  which 
did  not  belong  to  him. 

•"  There  is  le«s  of  imposture,"  he  replied,  "  in  the  character 
which  I  have  assumed  than  you  imagine ;  my  father  was  a 
physician,  and  I  am  his  seventh  son." 

"  But  is  it  right  to  delude  the  ignorant,  and  give  your 
sanction  to  an  idle  superstition1?" 

"  I  will  not  say  that  it  is  right.  Nothing  is  right  but 
truth  and  plain  dealing.  Yet  I  am  not  prepared  to  say  that 
it  is  morally  wrong  to  do  good  to  men  through  the  medium 
of  their  own  weakness.  One  half  of  the  diseases  which  afflict 
mankind  are  imaginary,  and  should  be  treated  as  such.  I  prac- 
tise upon  this  rule,  and  have  found  faith  quite  as  valuable  as 
physic." 

"  But  is  it  possible  that  you  can  pursue  this  life  with  satis- 
faction ?" 

"So  far  as  there  has  been  any  deception  in  it,  it  has  been 
irksome.  But  it  has  afforded  me  a  fund  of  amusement,  and 
has  given  me  an  insight  into  the  human  heart  which  I  con- 
sider invaluable.  I  have  acquired  an  intimate  acquaintance 
with  the  peculiarities  of  a  most  original  people;  have  seen 
the  workings  of  superstition  in  one  of  its  most  powerful  forms ; 
and  have  closely  studied  one  of  the  most 'curious  incidents  of 
the  mysterious  connection  between  mind  and  matter." 

"  Then  you  have  some  confidence  in  your  system  ]" 

"  Oh  yes :  how  can  I  help  it  1  I  have  seen  the  sturdy 
hunter,  who  could  face  the  painted  Indian  or  wrestle  with  a 
hungry  wolf,  quailing  under  a  fancied  or  unimportant  disor- 
der, and  suddenly,  at  my  bidding,  by  a  mere  volition  of  will, 


THE   SEVENTH   SON.  301 

resuming  his  vigour  and  returning  to  his  manly  exercises  ;  I 
have  seen  the  drooping  maiden,  who  withering  like  the 
autumn  leaf,  call  back  her  smiles  and  bloom,  by  a  simple 
exertion  of  faith.  I  must  acknowledge,  however,  that  my 
plan  has  been  extended  further,  and  continued  longer  than  I 
intended.  It  was  embraced  partly  in  jest,  partly  under  the 
poadings  of  stern  necessity.  My  success  astonished  me.  I 
saw  no  way  to  retreat.  I  was  doing  good  to  others  and  enrich- 
ing myself.  I  am  now  possessed  of  a  sufficient  sum  to  estab- 
lish me  wherever  I  please.  Besides,  the  bubble  must  soon 
burst ;  ours  is  not  a  country  nor  an  age  in  which  delusion  can 
live  long." 

I  left  him  on  the  following  morning.  Shortly  afterwards 
he  abandoned  the  scene  of  his  success,  after  presenting  the 
mystic  tablet  to  the  poor  widow,  who  had  proved  so  valuable 
a  friend  to  him  in  the  hour  of  adversity,  and  instructing  her 
in  the  real  secret  of  its  efficacy. 

Three  years  had  passed  away  since  the  interview  just 
related,  when  one  day  Doctor  Geode,  who  was  now  a  regular 
physician  of  high  standing,  in  a  city  not  far  from  that  of  my  own 
residence,  entered  my  room.  I  was  astonished  at  the  change 
which  a  short  time  had  wrought  in  his  person  and  appearance. 
He  was  now  in  his  thirtieth  year,  and  had  just  reached  the 
vigour  of  manhood.  He  was  plainly  but  neatly  dressed. 
Good  living  and  active  employment  had  clothed  his  muscles 
with  flesh,  and  brought  a  healthy  bloom  to  his  cheek.  The 
sharp  angles  of  his  face  had  become  rounded,  and  the  clouds 
of  care  were  dispersed.  The  clownish  manners  of  the  student 
had  given  place  to  the  deportment  of  a  plain,  intelligent 
gentleman.  A  smile  of  benevolence  and  placid  contentment 
sat  upon  his  features ;  and  I  thought  him  by  no  means  so 
ugly  as  he  had  been  in  his  youth. 

"  Come,"  said  he,  "  will  you  join  me  in  a  trip  to 1" 

"  For  what  purpose  1" 


302  LEGENDS    OF    THE    WEST. 

"  During  my  residence  there,  I  had  a  friend  who  treated 
me  with  kindness.  He  had  penetrated  my  disguise  by  his 
own  sagacity,  but  appreciated  my  motives,  kept  my  secret 
with  inviolable  honour,  and  promoted  my  influence  with  all 
his  influence.  I  was  his  family  physician.  He  is  dead,  and 
his  only  daughter,  the  fair-haired  girl  whom  I  told  you  of,  is 
about  to  be  deprived  of  her  inheritance  by  a  designing  relative. 
My  intimacy  with  the  family  has  put  me  in  possession  of 
facts,  which  are  unknown  to  her,  but  which  in  my  opinion  will 
establish  her  claim.  She  is  a  mere  child,  poor  thing,  and  does 
not  know  her  own  rights.  Come,  you  have  the  dyspepsia,  I 
am  sure ;  I  prescribe  a  long  journey." 

Who  could  resist  the  temptation  of  a  tour  to  the  frontier 
in  company  with  such  a  man  ?  "  The  seventh  son  shall  be 
obeyed,"  said.  I ;  and  the  next  morning  found  us  on  our  way. 
The  journey  was  delightful.  The  doctor  was  full  of  anecdote 
and  brimful  of  science :  both  of  which  he  poured  out  in 
copious  streams.  His  former  taciturnity  had  given  place  to 
conversational  powers  of  a  high  order.  It  had  never  been 
been  constitutional,  but  was  the  result  of  circumstances.  His 
youth  had  been  silently  and  diligently  employed  in  acquiring 
the  knowledge  which  now  burst  forth  in  rich  exuberance ;  and 
he  reminded  me  of  the  tree  that  in  the  winter  stands  bare, 
solitary,  and  ungraceful,  but  in  due  season  bears  the  leaf,  the 
blossom,  and  the  fruit.  His  inquisitive  mind  was  continually 
on  the  stretch.  I  was  struck  with  his  various  information, 
his  affability,  and  colloquial  skill. 

We  reached  the  broad  prairies,  and  the  region  of  thinly 
scattered  population,  and  having  procured  horses,  struck  into 
the  wilderness.  The  wide  and  beaten  road  was  changed  for 
the  path  that  winded  over  the  plains  or  among  the  tangled 
woods.  We  forded  the  little  streams,  and  crossed  the  rivers 
in  canoes,  driving  our  horses  before  us.  Instead  of  meeting 
the  travelling  carriage,  the  stage,  and  the  loaded  wagon,  we 
encountered  the  solitary  hunter  in  his  blanket-coat,  treading 


THE   SEVENTH   SON.  303 

along  with  the  stealthy  step  of  a  cat  and  the  watching  glance 
of  the  wary  Indian.  We  lodged  no  longer  at  the  inn,  attended 
by  assiduous  servants,  but  slept  at  the  settler's  cabin,  and 
sat  as  equals  at  his  board.  Two  more  days  would  have 

brought  us  to ,  when  my  friend  was  taken  ill.  The 

attack  was  severe,  and  he  thought  his  own  case  doubtful. 
There  was  no  physician  in  the  neighbourhood,  and  he  himself 
was  unprovided  with  such  medicines  as  were  suitable  to  his 
case.  The  fever  was  raging  and  the  pain  intense.  It  was 
one  of  those  cases  in  which  the  crisis  approaches  rapidly. 
Two  days  passed,  and  he  hourly  grew  worse.  I  was  almost 
frantic.  At  length  the  man  of  the  house  told  us  of  an  old 
woman,  who  had  lately  settled  in  the  neighbourhood,  who 
was  "a  desperate  good  doctor." 

"There  was  a  right  smart  chance  of  sickness  when  she 
came  into  the  settlement,"  continued  the  man,  "  a  heap  of 
people  called  on  her — she  had  abundance  to  do,  and  she  flew 
round  among  the  folks  mighty  peart,  I  tell  you.  The  way 
she  fixed  'em  was  the  right  wav,  there's  no  mistake  in  it.  I 
wouldn't  give  her  for  naary  high  larnt  marcury  doctor  I  ever 
see,  no  how." 

"  But  this  is  an  extreme  case." 

"  No  matter,"  replied  the  hunter  cheerfully — "  if  the  man 
was  as  cold  as  a  wagon-tire,  provided  there  was  any  life  in 
him,  she'd  bring  him  to  ;  there's  no  two  ways  about  it." 

My  friend  smiled.  "  Send  for  the  woman  !"  I  exclaimed, 
"she  may  tell  us  of  some  remedy."  A  boy  was  accordingly 
mounted  on  the  fleetest  steed,  and  soon  returned  with  the 
female  ^Esculapius.  There  was  nothing  peculiar  in  her 
appearance,  except  that  she  wore  a  large  black  veil,  which 
completely  concealed  her  features.  She  required  to  be  left 
alone  with  the  patient,  but  as  I  insisted  on  being  present  at 
the  interview,  an  exception  was  made  in  my  favour.  She 
approached  the  bed,  felt  the  sufferer's  pulse,  and  passed  her 
hand  over  his  forehead,  while  the  doctor,  who  seemed  to  re- 


304  LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 

cognise  the  skilful  touch  of  the  practitioner,  mechanically  put 
out  his  tongue.  The  woman  turned  to  me  and  said  in  a  low 
voice,  "I  can  do  nothing  for  this  gentleman — he  is  very  ill, 
and  requires  a  greater  physician  than  I  am." 

"  Do  your  best,"  exclaimed  I. 

"  Ah,  sir,  I  have  little  skill  in  medicine.  I  am  but  a  poor 
weak  woman ;  a  very  humble  instrument  in  the  hands  of 
Providence.  I  can  do  nothing  here.  This  man  needs  medi- 
cine." 

"  If  you  mean  to  say,  that  you  do  your  work  by  a  spell,  I 
insist  upon  your  trying  it." 

"  Very  willingly,"  said  the  woman  meekly,  and  then  rais- 
ing her  voice,  she  exclaimed,  "let  no  one  speak." 

She  next  turned  to  her  patient,  and  said,  "  Sick  man  !  do 
you  believe  that  I  can  raise  you  from  this  bed  of  pain  1" 

The  doctor,  who,  even  in  the  hour  of  extremity,  seemed  to 
retain  his  relish  for  hocus  pocus,  nodded  his  head,  while  I  felt 
an  unaccountable  awe  creeping  over  me. 

"  Then  look  upon  my  face,"  continued  she  in  a  solemn  tone, 
throwing  back  her  veil,  and  displaying  in  her  right  hand  the 
identical  tablet  of  Doctor  Geode,  "and  look  upon  this  tablet 
of  health,  and  these  mysterious  figures,  and  charmed  words, 
drawn  upon  it  by  the  hand  of  the  seventh  son  of  a  celebrated 
Indian  doctor — look  on  them,  and  believe,  and  be  restored." 

This  was  more  than  the  doctor  could  stand.  No  sooner 
did  he  behold  the  workmanship  of  his  own  hands  and  the 
pupil  of  his  tuition,  and  witness  the  whole  acting  of  that 
curious  scene,  of  which  he  had  been-  the  inventor,  than  he 
burst  into  an  immoderate  convulsion  of  laughter.  The  wo- 
man gazed  in  amazement,  for  in  the  altered  features  of  her 
patient  she  did  not  recognise  her  master.  I  ran  to  him  in 
alarm ;  but  he  continued  to  laugh,  rolling  from  side  to  side, 
throwing  up  his  long  arms,  and  screaming  as  if  distracted. 

As  soon  as  he  was  composed  enough  to  speak,  he  exclaimed, 
"  Give  her  a  fifty-dollar  note,  Charles  !  Go,  go,  good  wroman, 


THE  SEVENTH   SON.  305 

you  have  done  your  duty  well— go  now,  but  do  not  leave  the 
house !" 

"  Can  it  be  possible,"  continued  he,  as  the  wondering  wo- 
man closed  the  door  after  her,  "  can  it  be  that  there  are  two 
Kichmonds  in  the  field  1  No,  it  is  my  own  veritable  spell,  and 
my  very  deputy  herself!"  And  then  he  laughed  again,  until 
the  whole  house  re-echoed  the  sonorous  peal.  The  big  drops 
rolled  from  his  forehead.  "  See  there !"  he  exclaimed,  "  be- 
hold the  work  of  the  faith  doctor  •  here  we  have  been  labour- 
ing these  two  days  to  break  this  obstinate  fever,  and  to  pro- 
duce a  perspiration,  and  lo !  the  cunning  woman  has  wrought 
the  desired  change  in  a  moment !"  And  it  was  exactly  so  ; 
the  violent  muscular  action,  and  the  sudden  revolution  in  the 
patient's  train  of  thought,  had  produced  instantaneous  relief. 
A  profuse  perspiration,  succeeded  by  a  gentle  slumber,  re- 
lieved the  most  violent  symptoms.  When  he  awoke  he  asked 
for  the  doctress.  "  I  knew  I  was  safe,"  said  he,  "  as  soon 
as  I  saw  her  face.  She  has  a  lancet  and  a  box  of  calomel 
pills  in  her  pocket.  No  man  need  die  of  a  bilious  fever  when 
these  are  near.  I  lost  mine  on  the  road.  Send  her  in."  It 
is  only  necessary  to  add,  that  after  a  few  days'  careful  atten- 
tion from  the  old  lady,  who  was  really  an  admirable  nurse,  he 
was  able  to  resume  his  journey. 

In  consequence  of  this  detention,  we  arrived  at  the  place 
of  our  destination  too  late  to  be  of  any  service  to  the  daugh- 
ter of  Doctor'  Geode's  former  friend,  in  her  lawsuit.  The 
cause  had  been  tried,  and  decided  against  her.  My  worthy 
fellow-traveller  bore  this  disappointment  with  less  patience 
than  was  usual  with  him.  He  took  it  to  heart,  and  brooded 
over  it.  Every  day  he  went  to  see  the  young  lady,  to  console 
her,  and  to  trv  to  devise  some  means  to  reassert  her  rights. 

After  a  few  visits,  the  doctor  began  to  talk,  in  a  very 
dignified  strain,  of  the  moral  excellence  and  mental  acquire- 
ments of  his  young  friend ;  at  the  close  of  one  week  he  pro- 
nounced her  a  natural  curiosity,  and  before  the  end  of  the 


306  LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 

second,  he  assured  me  solemnly  that  she  was  a  phenomenon. 
He  had  discovered  a  new  scientific  truth,  namely,  that  in  five 
years  a  slim  girl  of  fourteen  may  be  metamorphosed  into  a 
full-grown  lovely  woman. 

"  Why,  Charles,"  said  he,  "  there  is  nothing  in  all  the  arcana 
of  nature  to  be  compared  with  it ;  the  bursting  of  the  gor- 
geous butterfly  from  its  chrysalis,  the  expansion  of  a  beautiful 
flower,  nor  any  of  the  most  wonderful  changes  in  the  mate- 
rial world  cannot  equal  it." 

"  What's  the  matter  now,  doctor  ?" 

"  Matter  enough,  sir ;  matter  for  curious  thought.  Here 
is  this  little  girl,  who,  when  I  saw  her  last,  was  dressed  in  cot- 
ton homespun,  wore  a  sun-bonnet,  and  ran  on  errands  for  her 
father — a  little  slight  thing,  as  pale  as  a  lily  and  as  timid  as 
a  fawn.  She  sat  in  the  corner  knitting  while  her  father  and 
I  conversed,  and  never  raised  her  eyes  or  uttered  more  than 
one  syllable  at  a  time.  I  used  to  carry  young  birds,  flowers, 
and  pictures  to  her,  as  I  would  to  any  other  child.  Now  she 
is  a  woman,  as  beautiful  as  Hebe,  as  hospitable  as  was  her 
own  warm-hearted  father,  and  as  rational  as  an  M.D.  She  is 
a  remarkable  specimen — " 

**If  she  is  a  specimen,"  interrupted  I,  "  I  can  easily  guess 
her  fate.  She  will  hardly  escape  so  industrious  a  collector 
as  yourself.  Take  her  home,  doctor,  and  place  her  in  your 
cabinet ;  she  would  be  worth  a  thousand  dried  flies  or  pickled 
snakes."  The  doctor  put  on  his  hat  and  walked  off.  I  saw 
that  it  was  all  over  with  him. 

At  the  end  of  the  third  week  of  our  stay,  I  began  to  grow 
impatient ;  but  my  friend's  "  phenomenon"  still  engaged  all 
his  thoughts ;  and  where  is  the  ardent  lover  of  science  who 
would  have  been  willing  to  relinquish  so  interesting  a  subject 
of  investigation  ?  He  was  anatomising  the  young  lady's  af- 
fections with  as  much  .patience  of  research  as  he  would  have 
bestowed  on  the  complete  skeleton  of  a  mastodon.  I  popped 
in  upon  them  one  day  unexpectedly,  as  they  stood  conversing 


THE  SEVENTH   SON.  307 

at  a  window,  and  before  I  was  observed  or  had  time  to  re- 
tire, I  heard  her  say  in  a  tremulous  tone  : 

"  Indeed,  Doctor  Geode-,  I  hardly  know  what  to  say — it  is 
so  sudden — so — so  very  unexpected — so — " 

"  I  will  tell  you  what  to  say ;  say  Yes." 

The  young  lady  covered  her  face,  and  uttered  neither  yes 
nor  no. 

"  I  see  through  your  case,"  continued  the  determined  doc- 
tor, "all  that  it  requires  is  faith.  As  I  used  to  ask  my 
patients  here,  I  now  ask  you,  have  you  faith  in  me  ?" 

"  It  requires  no  exertion  of  credulity  to  believe  that  Doc- 
tor Geode  is  all  that  is  noble  and  excellent,"  and  then  she 
placed  her  hand  in  his.  The  lover  took  it  respectfully,  and 
evidently  at  a  loss  what  he  ought  to  do  next,  mechanically 
laid  his  finger  upon  her  pulse  as  if  he  expected  to  find 
thoughts  of  love  and  vows  of  truth  throbbing  in  the  arterial 
system. 

I  suppose  I  laughed,  for  they  both  turned  towards  me. 

"  Ah,  Charles  !  what,  eavesdropping  1  well,  no  matter — 
let  me  introduce  you  to  Mrs.  Jeremy  Geode  that  is  to  be. 
We  shall  be  married  to-morrow,  and  the  next  day  bid  adieu 
to  the  frontier." 

The  wedding  took  place  accordingly ;  and  I  need  scarcely 
inform  the  intelligent  reader  that  my  friend  is  now  one  of  the 
best  and  happiest  of  husbands,  and  is  enjoying  in  the  meridian 
of  life  the  rich  harvest  of  prosperity  and  honour,  which  crowns 
a  youth  of  virtue,  industry,  and  self-denial. 


THE  MISSIONARIES. 


r\N  a  fane  morning  in  May,  18 — ,  two  of  those  large  boats 
^-'  in  which  families  emigrating  to  the  west  descend  our 
rivers,  were  seen  floating  down  the  Ohio.  Built  of  rough, 
heavy  timber,  and  intended  to  move  only  with  the  current, 
those  unwieldy  vessels  lay  silent  and  motionless  on  the  wave 
that  bore  them  gently  towards  their  destination.  At  a  small 
village — or  rather  at  a  spot  intended  to  be  occupied  as  such — 
the  boats  were  brought  to  the*  shore  and  moored,  and  the 
passengers  began  to  mingle  with  the  people  whom  curiosity 
had  drawn  to  the  landing-place.  It  was  a  missionary  family, 
proceeding  to  its  station  among  the  Osage  Indians,  that  halted 
thus  in  the  wilderness,  to  receive  a  foretaste  of  the  scenes 
that  awaited  them  in  the  distant  forest. 

The  place  at  which  they  had  stopped  was  a  level  plain,  of 
rich  alluvion,  from  which  the  timber  had  been  cleared  for  the 
space  of  a  mile  along  the  river,  and  nearly  that  depth  into  the 
forest.  A  cluster  of  cabins  recently  built  of  rough  logs,  to 
which  the  bark  still  adhered,  presented  to  the  eyes  of  our 
travellers  a  specimen  of  human  existence  more  nearly  ap- 
proaching the  rudeness  of  savage  life  than  any  thing  they  had 


310  LEGENDS    OF    THE    WEST. 

yet  seen.  There  was  nothing  here  to  recall  to  memory  their 
own  lovely  homes — the  beautiful  villages  of  New  England. 
There  was  no  green  spot  shaded  with  venerable  trees,  hallowed 
to  the  repose  of  the  dead — no  church  pointing  its  spire  to 
heaven,  and  offering  a  holy  refuge  to  the  living.  Here  were 
no  rural  embellishments  indicating  taste,  and  neatness,  and 
enjoyment — no  domestic  trees,  no  honeysuckle  bowers,  nor 
any  of  those  ornaments  which  beautify  the  village  and  give 
to  the  humblest  cottage  an  air  of  elegance.  Gardens,  and  or- 
chards, and  meadows,  there  were  none,  nor  any  dwelling  that 
seemed  to  have  been  endeared  to  a  human  being  by  the  name 
of  home.  The  ground,  newly  cleared,  was  thickly  set  with 
stumps,  and  covered  with  a  rank  growth  of  weeds.  The  frail 
and  unsightly  cabins,  standing  apart  from  each  other,  and  des- 
titute of  out-houses  and  enclosures,  seemed  to  be,  as  they 
really  were,  the  temporary  residence  of  an  unsettled  people. 
But  cheerless  as  this  spot  appeared  to  those  who  had  been  ac- 
customed to  all  the  comforts  and  many  of  the  luxuries  of  life, 
it  was  such  as  all  new  towns  in  the  west  had  once  been  ;  such, 
perhaps,  as  the  hamlets  were  on  the  shores  of  the  Atlantic, 
where  the  voices  of  the  pilgrims  first  ascended  in  prayer  to 
Him  who  had  brought  them^in  safety  out  of  the  land  of  per- 
secution. 

And  yet  the  scene  was  not  destitute  of  attraction.  Art 
had  done  little  to  spoil  and  nothing  to  embellish  it,  but  nature 
had  been  prodigal  of  her  bounties.  As  the  travellers  stood 
on  the  bank,  they  beheld  the  "  beautiful  river,"  for  miles 
above  and  below  them,  rolling  gently  along  with  a  surface  as 
smooth  as  polished  crystal.  The  shores  were  slightly  curved, 
swelling  out  on  the  one  side  and  receding  upon  the  other,  so 
as  to  exhibit  a  series  of  long  and  graceful  bends.  The  banks, 
as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  were  low  and  subject  to  inunda- 
tion by  the  spring  flood;-,  but  the  vegetation  which  formed 
their  chief  beauty  was  rich  beyond  description.  Springing 
from  a  deep  alluvion  soil,  the  forest  trees  reared  their  inx- 





THkMlSSIONARIES.  311 

mense  trunks  to  an  amazing  height,  while  their  interwoven 
branches  and  foliage  formed  an  impenetrable  shade.  The 
hues  of  the  forest  were  as  various  as  they  were  beautiful. 
Here  was  the  melancholy  cypress,  with  a  dark  trunk  and 
sombre  leaf,  and  the  tall  sycamore  with  a  stem  of  snowy 
whiteness  and  a  foliage  of  light-green.  The  poplar,  the  elm, 
the  maple,  and  the  gum,  with  numerous  other  trees,  exhibited 
every  variety  of  verdure  between  these  extremes.  The  dog- 
wood and  the  red-bud,  countless  in  number,  decked  the  whole 
scene  with  their  rich  blossoms,  the  former  of  pure  white,  and 
the  varieties  of  the  latter  glowing  with  all  the  shades  between 
a  pink  and  a  deep  scarlet.  Then  there  was  the  locust,  rich  in 
fragrance  as  in  hue,  the  delicate  catalpa,  the  yellow  flower  of 
the  tulip-tree.  The  graceful  cane  covered  the  ground,  the  wil- 
low fringed  the  stream,  the  vine  crept  to  the  tops  of  the  tallest 
trees,  and  the  mistletoe  hung  among  the  branches.  The  luxu- 
riant soil,  while  it  loaded  itself  with  a  gigantic  vegetation, 
gave  a  depth  and  vividness  to  the  colouring  of  the  landscape, 
that  imparted  a  peculiar  strength  and  character  to  the  scene. 
But  if  the  eye  was  charmed,  there  was  a  loveliness,  a  stillness, 
and  a  silence  reigning  throughout  this  scene  that  touched  the 
heart.  The  very  beauties  that  delighted,  and  the  quietness 
that  soothed,  testified  that  man  was  a  stranger  here,  and  told 
the  traveller  that  he  was  alone  with  his  God. 

Such  were  the  feelings  of  the  missionaries  as  they  gazed 
on  this  gentle  stream  and  its  wild  shore.  They  had  left  their 
homes  and  their  friends,  their  pious  companions,  their 
cherished  relatives,  and  the  scenes  of  their  childhood,  and 
were  going  beyond  the  confines  of  civil  society,  to  dwell  with 
the  savage  in  his  own  wild  woods.  As  they  travelled  to  the 
west,  they  had  seen  the  traces  of  civilization  becoming  every 
day  more  faint — every  day  they  had  found  the  villages  ruder 
and  more  distant  from  each  other — until  at  last  they  had 
reached  the  abodes  of  the  hunter,  where  the  rifle  and  the  axe 
furnished  the  means  of  subsistence  and  of  defence.  An  im- 


312  LEGENDS   OF   THE    WEST. 

mense  tract  of  wilderness  was  yet  to  be  traversed,  before 
they  could  reach  the  scene  of  their  future  labours,  and  they  felt 
sad  to  think  how  seldom  the  smile  of  a  countryman  or  the 
voice  of  a  brother  would  cheer  them  on  their  way.  -Their 
spirits  sunk,  as  they  looked  at  the  boundless  extent  of  forest : 
gorgeous  as  it  was  to  the  eye,  it  was  still  but  a  blooming 
desert,  containing  nothing  to  warm  the  heart  or  cherish  the 
affections.  Every  object  around  them  was  strange,  and  they 
felt  like  exiles  wandering  far  from  the  land  of  their  birth. 

These  were  trials,  however,  that  had  been  anticipated ;  and 
it  was  easy  to  see  in  the  mournful  countenances  of  these  hum- 
ble Christians,  as  they  wandered  along  the  shore,  that  a  hea- 
vier visitation  was  pending  over  them,  than  those  which  were 
necessarily  incident  to  their  situation.  One  of  their  compan- 
ions, a  beloved  sister,  was  about  to  breathe  her  last  sigh.  The 
messenger  of  death  hud  arrested  her  in  the  wilderness ;  giving 
a  solemn  warning  to  those  who  journeyed  with  her,  that 
although  they  had  forsaken  the  haunts  of  men,  they  had  not 
escaped  the  casualties  of  human  existence.  Even  here,  where 
nature  bloomed  so  fresh,  where  every  surrounding  object 
teemed  with  youth  and  vigour  and  fragrance,  the  messenger 
of  fate  would  reach  its  victim.  Bound  on  a  mission  of  love 
and  bearing  the  tidings  of  life  to  thousands,  they  also  bore 
with  them  the  evidence  of  their  own  mortality.  Death  was 
silently  pursuing  their  footsteps,  watching  his  own  appointed 
time  to  claim  the  tribute  which  all  must  pay  to  the  insatiate 
king  of  terrors. 

The  situation  of  the  dying  missionary  was  soon  known  to 
the  villagers,  and  a  few  of  them  went  to  offer  in  their  homely 
way  the  offices  of  hospitality ;  but  they  came  too  late ;  the 
sufferer  was  too  feeble  to  be  removed,  and  the  mourning 
strangers  said  that  they  needed  nothing  from  human  kindness 
but  a  grave  for  their  companion.  The  visiters  were  deeply 
affected.  The  death-bed  exhibits  at  all  times  a  solemn  and 
touching  scene,  and  though  of  daily  occurrence  its  frequency 


THE    MISSIONARIES.  313 

does  not  destroy  its  fearful  interest.  There  are  few  who  rea- 
son coldly  in  the  chamber  of  dissolution  ;  and  the  imagination 
is  easily  excited  by  any  incidental  circumstance  which  brings 
an  additional  pang  to  the  parting  of  the  living  and  the  dying. 
The  present  scene  was  one  of  no  ordinary  interest.  The  suf- 
ferer was  a  young  and  delicate  female.  A  husband  watched 
over  her  pallet,  and  two  lovely  children,  unconscious  of  the 
loss  they  were  about  to  sustain,  were  with  difficulty  withheld 
from  her  embrace.  The  severing  of  hearts  wedded  in  love — 
the  parting  of  a  mother  from  her  infant  children — are  eve'nts 
which  the  most  callous  cannot  view  without  emotion ;  but  on 
ordinary  occasions  there  is  a  melancholy  pleasure  in  the  reflec- 
tion that  the  survivors  will  often  visit  the  grave  of  the  de- 
ceased, to  drop  the  unseen  tears  of  affection.  Even  this  mourn- 
ful consolation  was  now  wanting ;  and  those  who  sorrowed, 
felt  that  when  the  soul  of  their  friend  should  have  departed 
they  must  abandon  her  earthly  remains,  retaining  no  relic  of 
her  whom  they  had  dearly  loved.  Her  tomb  would  be  on 
the  wild  shore,  where  no  kindred  ashes  slept,  and  where  they 
who  dwelt  near  the  spot  could  only  point  it  out  as  a  stranger's 
grave. 

The  solemn  moment  had  arrived  when  none  affected  to 
doubt  the  truth  which  was  too  evident,  or  sought  to  detain 
the  spirit  in  its  earthly  abode.  That  spirit  had  begun  to  as- 
sume its  celestial  character,  and  was  already  invested  in  the 
eyes  of  the  beholders  with  the  attributes  of  a  brighter  exist- 
ence. An  angel  seemed  to  be  lingering  among  men,  as  if 
unwilling  to  sever  too  rudely  the  cords  of  affection  with 
which  she  had  been  united  to  human  beings.  She  spoke  little, 
but  her  words  showed  that  her  thoughts  partook  of  the  change 
she  was  about  to  undergo.  Her  affections  alternately  lin- 
gered-on  the  earth  and  soared  towards  a  better  existence. 
The  bosom  of  the  saint  swelled  with  a  holy  joy— but  the 
heart  of  the  wife  and  mother  clung  to  the  dearly  cherished 
objects  of  its  purest  and  strongest  earthly  passion. 
14 


314  LEGENDS    OF    THE    WEST. 

The  mission  family  embraced  a  number  of  persons  of  both 
sexes,  and  it  was  gratifying  to  see  in  their  deportment  how 
efficient  is  religion  in  the  hour  of  sorrow.  Though  deeply 
afflicted,  there  was  a  decent  composure,  a  quiet  humility,  and 
an  entire  resignation,  in  all  their  words  and  actions.  They 
spoke  not  of  death  as  the  loathsome  companion  of  disease,  or 
the  precursor  of  corruption,  but  as  the  natural  consummation 
of  all  earthly  beings.  They  sorrowed  not  for  her  who  was 
going  to  a  better  world,  but  for  those  who  remained.  Their 
voices  were  firm  and  cheerful — and  even  the  timid  soul  that 
was  fluttering  in  the  hope  and  fear,  and  joy  and  sorrow,  of  the 
dying  moment,  acquired  calmness  from  the  serenity  of  others. 

Such  was  the  day.  Evening  came,  and  the  sufferer  still 
lived.  Prayer  and  hymn  were  heard  at  intervals  throughout 
the  night,  but  all  else  was  silent ;  and  at  a  late  hour,  they  who 
cast  a  look  at  the  shore,  beheld  a  dim  light  still  emanating 
from  the  chamber  of  death,  and  appearing  as  a  bright  speck 
in  the  surrounding  gloom — like  the  lingering  soul,  whose 
feeble  radiance  still  gleamed  in  the  dark  "  valley  of  the  shadow 
of  death." 

The  following  day  was  the  Sabbath.  At  the  dawn,  the 
villagers  hastened  to  the  boats.  The  missionaries  were  already 
engaged  at  their  morning  devotions.  The  voice  of  prayer 
was  heard  ascending  through  the  stillness  of  that  quiet  hour. 
The  accents  were  low  and  trembling,  but  distinctly  audible. 
The  speaker  alluded  to  her  whose  spirit  had  gone  to  the  man- 
sions of  the  blessed,  and  prayed  for  the  bereaved  husband  and 
the  orphan  children  ;  and  the  villagers  then  knew  that  she 
in  whose  fate  they  had  felt  so  deeply  interested  suffered  no 
longer.  After  a  moment's  pause  the  notes  of  sacred  song  were 
heard  floating  over  the  tide — so  sweet,  so  mournful,  that  every 
heart  was  touched  and  every  eye  moistened. 

At  sunset  the  same  day  the  remains  of  the  stranger  were 
borne  to  the  place  of  burial  by  her  late  companions,  followed 
by  the  inhabitants  of  the  village.  A  large  Indian  mound  in 


THE   MISSIONARIES.  315 

the  rear  of  the  town  had  been  selected,  as  the  only  spot  not 
subject  to  inundation.  The  grave  was  opened  on  the  summit 
of  its  eminence,  and  here  was  the  body  of  a  Christian  female 
deposited  among  the  relics  of  heathen  warriors.  The  inhab- 
itants and  the  mission  family  stood  around  with  their  heads 
reverently  uncovered  while  one  of  the  missionaries  addressed 
them — then  some  one  raised  a  hymn,  and  the  whole  company 
joined,  chanting  with  solemn  fervour,  as  if  a  flood  of  devotional 
feeling  had  burst  spontaneously  from  every  bosom  at  the 
same  instant — and  when  they  all  knelt  upon  the  mound,  it 
was  not  from  any  signal  or  invitation  given  by  man,  but  God 
touched  their  hearts,  and  as  the  song  of  praise  ceased,  they 
all  involuntarily  prostrated  themselves  before  His  throne. 

When  the  people  rose,  and  the  officiating  minister  had  dis- 
missed them  with  the  usual  benediction,  the  widowed  husband 
stepped  forward,  leading  one  of  his  children  in  each  hand. 
For  a  moment  he  stood  by  the  newly  filled  grave,  gazing  on 
it  with  an  agony  which  he  strove  in  vain  to  subdue.  In  a 
broken  voice  he  thanked  the  people  of  the  village  for  their 
kindness,  and  committed  the  remains  of  his  wife  to  their  pro- 
tection. He  begged  them  to  mark  and  remember  the  place 
of  interment,  in  order  that  "  if  hereafter  a  stranger  in  passing 
through  their  village  should  ask  them  for  the  grave  of  Maria 
,  they  could  lead  him  to  the  spot." 


THE  INDIAN  WIFE'S  LAMENT. 


THE  Indian  tribes  who  reside  near  the  Falls  of  Saint  An- 
thony,  have  a  tradition  of  one  of  their  females,  who 
drowned  herself  in  a  fit  of  jealousy.  Her  husband,  to  whom 
she  was  tenderly  attached,  had,  after  their  fashion,  which  per- 
mits a  plurality  of  wives,  introduced  a  second  female  into  his 
wigwam,  which  so  mortified  the  heroic  woman,  who  had 
prided  herself  in  being  the  sole  possessor  of  his  affections, 
that  she  calmly  placed  herself  and  her  children  in  a  canoe, 
and  floated  over  the  cataract,  singing  her  death-song. 

SHE  launched  her  frail  bark  on  the  swift-rolling  stream, 
And  sang  her  death-song  with  a  maniac  scream, 
That  pierced  the  lone  caves  of  that  desolate  shore, 
And  rose  o'er  the  din  of  the  cataract's  roar. 

The  bald  eagle  sprang  from  his  perch  at  the  sound, 
And,  poised  high  in  air,  circled  watchfully  around ; 
The  panther  crouched  low  in  his  brush-covered  bed, 
The  timid  deer  rushed  from  her  thicket  and  fled. 

She  saw  not  the  eagle,  she  marked  not  the  deer, 
The  echo  that  scared  them  was  mute  to  her  ear, 
So  wild  was  her  sorrow,  so  wretched  her  doom, 
She  seemed  a  lone  spirit  escaped  from  the  tomb. 


318  LEGENDS    OF    THE    WEST. 

Her  babes  clung  around  her 'with  timorous  cry, 
Alarmed  with  the  glance  of  her  fierce  rolling  eye, 
And  still  o'er  those  dear  ones  impassioned  she  hung, 
And  madly  she  kissed  them,  as  \vildly  she  sung : 

"  Oh,  children  forsaken  !  wife,  mother  forlorn ! 
The  heart  that  should  cherish  has  spurned  ye  in  scorn ; 
Expelled  from  his  bosom,  and  banished  his  door, 
The  father,  the  husband,  shall  clasp  us  no  more. 

"  How  blest  were  the  days  of  my  youth,  when  in  pride 
I  climbed  yonder  mountains,  or  bathed  in  this  tide ; 
When  I  chased  the  young  fawn  to  its  woodland  retreat, 
And  snatched  a  rich  plume  from  the  gay  paroquet. 

"  But  happier  far  when  I  roamed  through  the  shade, 
Companion  of  him  who  with  pride  I  obeyed ; 
His  quiver  I  carried,  his  game  I  secured, 
I  shared  all  his  triumphs,  his  toils  I  endured. 

"  He  was  strong  as  the  oak,  be  was  straight  as  the  reed, 
No  warrior  could  match  him  in  courage  or  speed, 
So  true  was  his  arrow,  so  sharp  was  his  spear, 
The  Otto  and  Pawnee-Loupe  met  him  in  fear. 

"  How  faithful,  how  fond,  how  enduring  my  love, 
These  tears  and  the  pangs  of  a  broken  heart  prove ; 
Do  I  dream  ?  no,  these  pledges  too  dearly  proclaim, 
How  happy  I  was,  and  how  wretched  I  am. 

"  Had  he  died,  I  had  mourned  him  with  many  a  tear, 
His  son  should  have  wielded  his  bow  and  his  spear, 
His  daughter  in  songs  should  have  honoured  his  name, 
Every  vale,  every  mountain,  had  rung  with  his  fame. 

"  Ah,  subtle  destroyer !  he  charmed  as  the  snake, 
Who  basks  on  the  mountain  or  lurks  in  the  brake : 
He  stung  like  the  reptile !  the  poison  is  sure, 
No  herb  can  relieve  me,  no  sorcery  cure. 

"  False  traitor  !  who  won  and  caressed  to  destroy, 

Oh  could  I  but  hate  thee,  I  still  could  know  joy, 

But  spumed  and  degraded,  this  heart  is  so  frail, 

Love  remains  where  deep  hate  and  revenge  should  prevail. 


THE   INDIAN   WIFE'S    LAMENT.  319 

"  One  spirit  we  worship,  oue  chief  we  obey, 
One  bright  sun  gives  lustre  and  warmth  to  our  day, 
One  mate  has  the  eagle,  the  turtle  one  love, 
I  am  proud  as  the  eagle,  and  true  as  the  dove. 

"  Oh  think  not  to  tread  in  your  pride  o'er  my  grave ! 
I  will  sleep  with  my  babes  buried  deep  in  the  wave, 
Where  thou  canst  not  follow — unworthy  to  be 
A  husband,  a  father,  to  them  or  to  me. 

u  If  stung  with  remorse,  thou  shalt  seek  for  my  tomb, 
To  mock  at  my  weakness,  or  mourn  o'er  my  doom, 
Thy  voice  shall  be  drowned  in  the  cataract's  roar, 
And  my  spirit  be  vexed  with  thy  false  vows  no  more !" 

As  she  sung,  the  sad  strain  came  prolonged  o'er  the  cliff — 
Every  cave,  as  in  sympathy,  echoed  her  grief, 
So  deep  each  response,  as  it  murmured  along, 
No  mortal  e'er  heard  so  terrific  a  song. 

And  onward  the  bark  swiftly  glides  o'er  the  spray, 
No  hand  gave  the  motion,  or  guided  the  way, 
But  headlong  through  breakers  it  swept  as  the  wind, 
No  pathway  before  it,  no  trace  left  behind. 

A  moment  it  paused  on  the  cataract's  brow, 
Then  sunk  into  fathomless  caverns  below, 
And  the  bark,  and  the  song,  and  the  singer,  no  more 
Were  seen  on  the  wild  wave,  or  heard  on  the  shore  1 


A  LEGEND  OF  CAROOELET; 

OR,   FIFTY   YEARS   AGO. 


rPHERE  is  no  knowledge  so  valuable  as  a  knowledge  of  the 
-A-  world.  Thousands  have  grown  gray  in  the  acquisition 
of  learning,  without  ever  getting  the  slightest  insight  into  the 
human  character,  while  many  seem  to  be  born  with  an  irt- 
trinsic  perception  of  the  workings  of  the  human  heart.  There 
is  a  something  called  common  sense,  which  books  do  not 
teach,  but  which,  nevertheless,  is  worth  more  than  all  the  lore 
of  antiquity.  A  man  may  starve  with  his  head  full  of  Latin 
and  Greek,  while  a  single  grain  of  common  sense  operates  like 
the  presence  of  the  prophet  of  old  upon  the  widow's  cruse. 
The  fortunate  individual  who  is  born  with  this  desirable  qual- 
ity, bears  a  charmed  existence,  and  glides  along  in  the  voyage 
of  life  with  an  ease  that  surprises  his  companions.  There  is  a 
thriftiness  about  such  persons  which  is  almost  miraculous  ; 
like  those  hardy  plants  that  spring  up  in  the  crevices  of  the 
rock,  they  flourish  in  the  midst  of  barrenness,  when  every 
thing  perishes  around  them. 

To  this  class  belonged  Timothy  Eleazer  Tompkinson,  the 
14* 


322  LEGENDS    OF   THE    WEST. 

hopeful  heir  of  a  worthy  mariner,  whose  domicil  was  situated 
in  a  small  seaport  of  New  England,  but  who,  being  almost 
constantly  abroad,  was  obliged  to  leave  his  only  son  to  the 
care  of  a  maiden  aunt  and  to  the  teaching  of  a  public  school. 
This  amiable  youth  exhibited,  even  in  childhood,  some  of  the 
touches  of  the  disposition  which  adhered  to  him  through  life. 
He  liked  salt  water  better  than  attic  wit ;  and  loved  to  steer  his 
little  boat,  in  the  most  stormy  weather,  around  the  capes  and 
headlands  of  the  neighbouring  sea-coast,  better  than  to  trace 
out  the'  labyrinths  of  a  problem,  or  to  wander  among  the 
shoals  and  quicksands  of  metaphysics.  In  his  tenderest 'years, 
he  launched  his  bark  upon  the  ocean  with  the  temerity  of  a 
veteran  pilot ;  and  when  the  gay  breeze  swept  along,  and  the 
waves  danced  and  sparkled  in  the  sun,  his  little  sail  might  be 
seen  skimming  over  the  surface  like  a  sea-bird.  Often  as  he 
strolled  off  in  the  morning  might  the  shrill  voice  of  his  aunt, 
the  worthy  Miss  Fidelity  Tompkinson,  be  heard  hailing  him 
with,  "  Where  are  you  going,  Timmy  dear  ?"  "  Don't  go  near 
the  water,  dear ;"  and  as  often  would  he  toss  his  head  and 
march  on,  smiling  at  the  simplicity  of  his  watchful  guardian 
and  marvelling  at  the  timidity  of  women.  In  vain  did  the 
village  pedagogue  remind  him  that  time  flies  swifter  than  a 
white  squall,  and  that  in  the  voyage  of  life  there  is  but  one 
departure,  which,  if  taken  wrong,  can  never  be  corrected. 
Tim  would  listen  with  a  smile,  and  then  placing  his  tarred  hat 
on  one  side  of  his  head,  stroll  off  whistling  to  the  beach. 

At  sixteen  it  was  concluded  that  the  years  and  gifts  of 
Timothy  rendered  him  a  suitable  candidate  for  college  hon- 
ours, and  his  name  was  accordingly  entered  upon  the  books 
of  a  celebrated  institution.  Here  he  was  soon  distinguished  ; 
not  for  Latin  or  logic,  but  for  cleverness,  ingenuity,  and  gym- 
nastic feats.  He  never  was  a  great  talker,  but,  on  the  con- 
trary, expressed  himself  with  a  laudable  brevity,  and  with 
that  idiomatic  terseness  of  language  which  is  common  along 
shore,  where  a  significant  sea-phrase  answers  all  the  purpose 


THE   LEGEND    OF    CARONDELET.  323 

of  a  long  argument ;  and  he  reasoned,  plausibly  enough,  that 
one  who  employed  so  few  words,  had  little  use  for  any  other 
tongue  than  his  own,  which  afforded  a  copious  medium  for 
the  conveyance  of  his  slender  stock  of  ideas.  In  the  mathe- 
matical sciences,  he  was  better  skilled.  Few  could  estimate 
with  more  accuracy  the  number  of  superficial  yards  between 
his  own  chamber  and  a  neighbouring  orchard,  or  calculate 
with  more  nicety  the  difference  of  distance  between  these 
points  upon  a  direct  line,  or  by  the  meanders  of  a  number  of 
obtuse  angles.  He  knew  the  exact  height  of  every  window 
in  the  college  edifice,  and  the  precise  force  required  to  elevate 
a  projectile  from  the  college  green  to  the  roof  of  the  tutor's 
boarding-house.  He  knew  precisely  the  angle  at  which  an. 
object  could  be  presented  to  the  retina  of  a  professor's  eye, 
and  was  acquainted  with  the  depth  of  every  intellect  and  the 
measure  of  every  purse  in  the  Senior  class.  In  short,  how- 
ever deficient  in  Athenian  polish,  he  had  all  the  hardihood  of 
a  Spartan  youth,  and  was  especially  gifted  with  that  thrifty 
quality  called  common  sense.  He  was  a  lucky  boy,  too. 
Though  foremost  in  every  act  of  mischief,  he  was  always  the 
last  to  be  found  out  or  punished ;  and  though  he  never  stud- 
ied, he  always  managed  to  glide  unnoticed  through  the  college 
examinations,  or  to  obtain  praise  for  productions  which  were 
strongly  suspected  to  be  not  his  own.  In  difficulty  or  danger, 
he  was  sure  to  have  a  device  to  meet  the  exigency,  and  was 
so  often  successful  on  such  occasions,  that  his  companions 
compared  him  to  the  active  animal,  which,  when  thrown  into 
the  air,  always  lights  upon  its  feet. 

It  will  be  readily  imagined  that  our  hero  gained  but  few 
scholastic  attainments ;  yet  he  was,  nevertheless,  a  general 
favourite.  He  was  blessed  with  the  finest  temper  in  the 
world.  His  good  nature  was  absolutely  invincible.  Although 
the  very  prince  of  mischief,  none  suspected  him  of  malice.  In 
the  midst  of  a  bitter  reproof  he  would  smile  in  the  professor's 
face ;  and  the  student  who  treated  him  with  insolence  was, 


324  LEGENDS   OF  THE   WEST. 

perhaps,  the  first  to  receive  some  kind  act  from  his  hand.  If 
the  faculty  frowned  upon  him,  he  had  the  faculty  of  turning 
the  storm  into  sunshine,  and  of  averting  punishment  by  a 
well-timed  jest  or  compliment.  Every  body  loved  Tim,  and 
Tim  loved  every  body.  He  hated  study  ;  but  then  he  liked 
college,  because  the  students  were  jolly  fellows,  and  the  pro- 
fessors took  flattering  kindly,  and  stood  quizzing  with  that 
patience  which  is  the  result  of  long  endurance. 

How  long  these  halcyon  days  would  have  lasted,  and 
whether  the  name  of  Timothy  Eleazer  Tompkinson  would 
have  been  numbered  among  the  alumni  of  the  college,  is  now 
beyond  the  reach  of  conjecture ;  for  just  as  he  had  attained 
his  twentieth  year,  the  news  came  that  his  father  had  dis- 
charged the  debt  of  nature,  leaving  all  his  other  debts  unpaid, 
his  sister  fortuneless,  and  his  son  a  beggar.  Our  hero  paid 
the  tribute  of  a  tear  to  the  memory  of  his  departed  parent, 
and  more  than  one  drop  attested  his  sympathy  for  the  deso- 
late condition  of  his  kind  aunt.  But  he  soon  brushed  the 
moisture  from  either  eye,  and  as  the  good  president  condoled 
with  him  in  a  tone  of  sincere  affection,  he  acknowledged  with 
a  smile  that  his  case  might  have  been  much  more  desperate. 

"The  worst  of  it  is,"  said  the  reverend  principal,  "that 
you  will  not  be  able  to  take  out  a  degree." 

"  I  shall  be  sorry  to  quit  college,"  replied  the  youth,  "  but 
as  for  the  degree,  that  is  neither  here  nor  there." 

The  president  shook  his  head  and  took  snuff,  while  Tim 
cast  a  sidelong  glance  out  of  the  window,  gazing  wistfully 
over  the  green  landscape,  which  was  now  decked  with  the 
blossoms  of  spring,  and  longing  to  rove  uncontrolled  about 
that  beautiful  world,  that  seemed  so  redolent  of  sunshine,  and 
flowers,  and  balmy  breezes. 

"  It  is  a  sad  thing,"  said  the  president,  "  for  a  young  man 
to  be  cast  upon  the  cold  charity  of  the  wide  world." 

"  The  wider  the  world  is  the  better,"  said  Tim  ;  "  it  is  a 
fine  thing  to  have  sea-room ;  and  as  to  its  coldness,  I  don't 


A   LEGEND   OF   CARONDELET.  325 

regard  that ;  a  light  heart  will  keep  a  man  warm  in  the  stiffest 
northeaster  that  ever  blew." 

The  worthy  president  applied  his  handkerchief  to  his  nose, 
then  wiped  his  spectacles,  and  wondered  how  marvellously  the 
wind  is  tempered  to  the  shorn  lamb. 

"  Thou  hast  a  bold  heart,"  said  the  president,  "  still  I  can- 
...  not  bear  to  see  you  cast  forth  without  a  profession." 

"  Oh,  never  mind  that ;  I'm  all  the  better  without  it.  To 
a  man  without  a  farthing  in  his  pocket,  a  profession  is  only  an 
incumbrance,  which  forces  him  to  wear  good  clothes  and  talk 
like  a  book.  I  shall  put  out  into  the  world  as  light  as  a 
feather,  and  float  along  with  the  breeze." 

Arguments  were  thrown  away  upon  the  common  sense  of 
our  hero,  who  was  already  panting  to  exercise  among  men  the 
same  devices  which  had  smoothed  all  the  asperities  of  col- 
lege life,  which  had  won  him  the  affection  of  his  fellow-students, 
and  gained  even  the  kindness  of  his  superiors. 

"  There  goes,"  said  the  president,  as  he  gazed  after  him, 
"  the  shrewdest  boy  and  the  greatest  dunce  that  ever  left  col- 
lege— the  most  obstinate,  yet  the  most  conciliatory  spirit." 

Obstinate  as  he  was,  there  was  one  point  on  which  he 
yielded.  He  abandoned  a  long- cherished  intention  of  going 
to  sea,  upon  the  earnest  solicitation  of  his  aunt.  It  was  the 
only  request  from  his  sole  remaining  relative.  She  had  nursed 
his  infancy  with  unceasing  kindness ;  she  now  leaned  upon 
him  for  support,  and  her  tears  were  irresistible.  But  in  aban- 
doning the  ocean,  he  stipulated  for  free  permission  to  roam  at 
large  over  the  wide  expanse  of  his  native  country,  and  in  a 
few  days  after  the  intelligence  had  arrived  of  his  father's  death, 
he  was  seen  leaving  his  native  village  with  an  elastic  step,  with 
a  staff  in  his  hand,  and  a  small  portmanteau  under  his  arm. 

Here  I  must  leave  my  hero  for  the  present,  and  ask  the 
gentle  reader  to  accompany  me  to  the  pleasant  village  of 
Carondelet,  or,  as  it  is  more  commonly  called,  Vide  Poche,  on 
the  margin  of  the  Mississippi.  Although  now  dwindled  into 


326  LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 

an  obscure  and  ruinous  hamlet,  remarkable  only  for  its  out- 
landish huts  and  lean  ponies,  it  was  then  the  goodly  seat  of  a 
prosperous  community.  It  is  situated  on  the  western  shore 
of  the  river,  in  a  beautiful  little  amphitheatre,  which  seemed 
to  have  been  scooped  out  for  the  very  purpose.  The  banks 
of  the  Mississippi  at  this  place  are  composed  of  a  range  of 
hills  rising  abruptly  from  the  water's  edge.  The  town  occu- 
pies a  sort  of  cove,  formed  by  a  small  plat  of  table  land,  sur- 
rounded on  three  sides  by  hills.  The  houses  occupy  the  whole 
of  this  little  area,  including  the  hill-sides ;  and  are  models  of 
primitive  rudeness,  carelessness,  and  comfort.  They  were 
sometimes  of  stone  ;  but  usually  of  framed  timber,  with  mud 
walls ;  and  all  the  rooms  being  arranged  on  the  ground  floor, 
their  circumference  was  often  oddly  disproportioned  to  their 
height.  In  a  few  of  the  better  sort,  spacious  piazzas,  formed 
by  the  projection  of  the  roof,  surrounded  the  buildings,  giving 
to  them  both  coolness  and  a  remarkable  air  of  comfort.  The 
enormous  steep  roofs  were  often  quadrangular,  so  as  to  form 
a  point  in  the  middle,  surmounted  by  a  ball,  a  weathercock, 
or  a  cross.  Gardens,  stocked  with  fruit  trees  and  flowering 
shrubs,  encompassed  the  dwellings,  enclosed  with  rough  stone 
walls,  or  stockades  made  by  driving  large  stakes  in  the  ground. 
The  dwelling  stood  apart,  having  each  its  own  little  domain 
about  it ;  and  when  it  is  added  that  the  streets  were  narrow 
and  irregular,  it  will  be  observed  that  the  whole  scene  was 
odd  and  picturesque. 

The  inhabitants  presented,  as  I  suppose,  a  fair  specimen  of 
the  French  peasantry,  as  they  existed  in  France  previous  to 
the  first  revolution.  They  had  all  the  levity,  the  kindness, 
and  the  contentment  which  are  so  well  described  by  Sterne, 
with  a  simplicity  which  was  perfectly  childlike.  Though  sub- 
ject at  the  date  of  our  tale  to  a  foreign  king,  they  were  as 
good  republicans  as  if  they  had  been  trained  up  in  one  of  our 
own  colonies.  They  knew  the  restraints  and  distinctions  of  a 
monarchy  only  by  report,  practising  the  most  rigid  equality 


A    LEGEND    OF    CAKONDELET.  327 

among  themselves,  and  never  troubling  their  heads  to  inquire 
how  things  were  ordered  elsewhere.  The  French  command- 
ants and  priests,  who  ruled  in  their  numerous  colonies,  had 
always  the  knack  of  giving  a  parental  character  to  their  sway, 
and  governed  with  so  much  mildness,  that  the  people  never 
thought  of  questioning  either  the  source  or  extent  of  their 
authority  ;  while  the  English  invariably  alienate  the  affections 
of  their  colonists  by  oppression.  The  inhabitants  of  Vide 
Poche  were  all  plebeians  ;  a  few  who  traded  with  the  Indians 
had  amassed  some  little  property  ;  the  remainder  were  hunt- 
ers and  boatmen — men  who  traversed  the  great  prairies  of 
the  West,  and  traced  the  largest  rivers  to  their  sources,  fiddling 
and  laughing  all  the  way,  lodging  and  smoking  in  the  Indian 
wigwams,  and  never  dreaming  of  fatigue  or  danger. 

To  return  to  our  story.  It  was  a  sultry  afternoon  in  June. 
Not  a  breath  of  air  was  stirring — the  intense  glare  of  the  sun 
had  driven  every  animal  to  some  shelter — the  parched  soil 
glowed  with  heat,  and  even  the  plants  drooped.  There  was, 
however,  a  pleasant  coolness  and  an  inviting  serenity  among 
the  dwellings  of  the  French.  The  trees  that  stood  thick 
around  them  threw  a  dense  shade,  which  contrasted  delight- 
fully with  the  glaring  fierceness  of  the  sunbeams.  The  broad 
leaf  of  the  catalpa  and  the  rich  green  of  the  locust  afforded 
relief  to  the  eye ;  bowers  of  sweetbrier  and  honeysuckle, 
mingled  with  luxuriant  clumps  of  the  white  and  red  rose,  gave 
fragrance  to  the  air,  and  a  romantic  beauty  to  the  scene. 

In  the  cool  veranda  of  one  of  the  largest  of  those  dwell- 
ings, sat  a  round-faced,  laughing  Frenchman.  Near  him  sat 
Madame,  his  wife,  a  dark-eyed,  wrinkled,  sprightly  old  lady  ; 
and  at  her  side  was  a  beautiful  girl  of  seventeen,  their  only 
daughter.  The  worthy  couple  had  that  mahogany  tinge  of 
complexion  which  belongs  to  this  region ;  as  to  the  young  lady, 
politeness  compels  me  to  describe  her  hue  as  a  brunette — and 
a  beautiful  brunette  it  was— fading  into  snow-white  upon  her 
neck,  and  deepening  into  a  rich  damask  on  her  round  smooth 


328  LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 

cheek.  The  ladies  were  sewing  ;  and  the  gentleman  was  puff- 
ing his  pipe  with  the  composure  of  a  man  who  feels  conscious 
that  he  has  a  right  to  smoke  his  own  tobacco  in  his  own  house, 
and  with  the  deliberation  of  one  who  is  master  of  his  own  time. 

While  thus  engaged,  their  attention  was  attracted  by  the 
apparition  of  a  man  leading  a  jaded  horse  along  the  street. 
The  stranger  was  young  and  slender  ;  his  dress  had  once  been 
genteel,  but  was  much  worn,  and  showed  signs  of  recent  ex- 
posure to  the  weather.  The  traveller  himself  was  tanned  and 
weather-beaten,  his  hair  tangled,  and  his  chin  unshaved  ;  while 
the  sorry  nag,  which  he  led  by  the  bridle,  had  just  life  enough 
left  iu  him  to  limp  upon  three  legs.  Worn  down  with  fatigue, 
and  covered  with  sweat  and  dust,  the  new  comer  halted  in  the 
street,  as  if  unable  to  proceed,  and  looked  around  in  search 
of  a  public  house.  Of  a  boy,  who  passed  along,  he  inquired 
for  a  tavern ;  but  the  lad,  unable  to  understand  him,  shook 
his  head.  He  put  the  same  question  to  several  others,  with 
no  better  success ;  until  Monsieur  Dunois,  the  gentleman 
whom  we  have  described  above,  seeing  his  embarrassment, 
stepped  forward  and  invited  him  into  his  porch. 

The  stranger  was  no  other  than  our  friend  Timothy  Eleazer 
Tompkinson,  who,  in  the  course  of  a  few  months,  had  made 
his  way  from  New  England  to  Louisiana.  It  is  unnecessary 
to  recount  the  various  expedients  by  which  he  maintained 
himself  upon  his  journey.  He  was  a  lawyer,  a  doctor,  or  a 
mechanic,  as  occasion  required.  At  one  place,  he  pleaded  a 
cause  before  a  magistrate  ;  at  another,  he  drew  a  tooth  ;  for 
one  man  he  mended  a  lock  ;  for  another  he  set  a  timepiece  ; 
and  by  these  and  similar  devices,  he  not  only  supported  him- 
self, but  procured  the  means  to  purchase  a  horse,  saddle,  and 
bridle.  Arrived  at  the  frontier  of  Kentucky,  his  restless  spirit 
still  urged  him  forward,  and  he  determined  to  strike  across 
the  wilderness  to  the  French  settlements,  on  the  Mississippi. 
The  distance  was  nearly  three  hundred  miles,  and  the  whole 
region  through  which  he  had  to  travel  was  uninhabited,  except 


A   LEGEND   OF   CARONDELET.  329 

by  Indians.  Unaccustomed  to  the  forest,  he  must  have  per- 
ished, had  he  not  encountered  a  solitary  hunter,  who,  pleased 
with  his  free  and  bold  spirit,  voluntarily  conducted  him 
throughout  a  considerable  part  of  the  route,  taught  him  how 
to  avoid  the  haunts  of  the  savages,  and  instructed  him  in  some 
of  the  arts  of  forest  life.  For  the  last  two  days  he  had  wan- 
dered without  food ;  and  both  himself  and  his  horse  were 
nearly  exhausted  when  he  reached  the  Mississippi,  where  some 
friendly  Indians,  of  the  Kaskaskia  tribe,  had  ferried  him  across 
in  their  canoes.  The  arrival  of  a  stranger  at  this  secluded 
hamlet,  by  land,  was  quite  an  event,  and  little  else  was  talked 
of,  this  evening,  at  the  tea-tables  of  Carondelet. 

M.  Dunois,  who  had  traded  and  travelled,  valued  himself 
highly  on  his  knowledge  of  the  English  language,  which  he 
had  attempted  to  teach  to  his  daughter ;  and  he  no  sooner 
discovered  that  this  was  the  vernacular  tongue  of  the  stranger, 
than  he  opened  a  conversation  in  that  dialect.  The  cork  was 
drawn  from  a  bottle  of  excellent  claret,  a  pitcher  of  limpid 
water  from  the  fountain  was  brought,  and  our  hero  having 
moistened  his  parched  lips,  and  seated  himself  in  the  coolest 
veranda  of  Vide  Poche,  felt  quite  refreshed.  The  following 
dialogue  then  ensued : 

"  Pray,  sir,"  said  Timothy  Eleazer,  with  his  best  college 
bow,  "  can  you  direct  me  to  a  tavern  ?" 

"  Tavern  !  vat  you  call  1  eh  ?  Oh  la  !  tfauberge — no, 
Monsieur,  dere  is  no  tavern  en  Vide  Poche" 

"  That  is  awkward  enough— what  shall  I  do  ?  my  horse 
must  be  fed,  and  I  am  almost  starved." 

"  Eh  Men  ?  you  will  have  some  ros  bif,  and  somebody  for 
eat  your  cheval !  ii'est  ce  pas  ?" 

"  I  need  food  and  lodging,  and  know  not  where  to  go." 

"  Fude  !  vat  is  fude,  Marie  ?  Ah  ha  !  aliment.  Sacre  ! 
Monsieur  is  hongry  ;  Loge  !  here  is  ver  good  place,  chez  moi. 
You  shall  stay  vid  me.  Ver  good  loge  here,  and  plenty  for 
eat  you,  et  votre  cheval" 


330  LEGENDS   OF   THE    WEST. 

Timothy  "  hoped  he  didn't  intrude  ;"  but  a  man  who  has 
been  lost  in  the  woods  is  not  very  apt  to  stand  on  ceremony ; 
and  as  he  glanced  at  the  symptoms  of  plenty  which  surrounded 
him,  at  the  good-humoured  hostess,  and  at  the  fair  Marie,  a 
spectator  would  have  judged  that  his  fears  of  intrusion  were 
overbalanced  by  feelings  of  self-gratulation  at  having  fallen 
into  the  hands  of  such  good  Samaritans.  He  soon  found  that 
the  hospitality  of  this  worthy  family  vras  of  the  most  substan- 
tial kind.  In  a  moment  his  tired  nag  was  led  to  the  stable, 
and  our  hero,  so  lately  a  wanderer,  found  himself  an  honoured 
and  cherished  guest. 

The  air  of  Vide  Poche  agreed  well  with  him.  The  free 
and  social  habits  of  the  French  were  exactly  to  his  taste. 
Although  their  pockets,  as  the  name  of  their  town  implies, 
were  not  lined  with  gold,  there  was  plenty  in  their  dwellings 
and  cheerfulness  in  their  hearts. 

He  was  delighted  with  the  harmony  and  the  apparent 
unity,  both  of  feeling  and  interest,  which  bound  this  little 
community  together.  They  were  like  a  single  family  ;  their 
hearts  beat  in  unison,  "  as  the  heart  of  one  man."  There  was 
but  one  circle.  Though  some  were  poorer  than  others,  they 
all  mingled  in  the  same  dance  ;  and  as  none  claimed  superi- 
ority, or  attempted  to  put  others  to  sharne  by  affecting  a  show 
of  wealth,  there  was  little  envy  or  malice.  All  were  equally 
illiterate,  with  the  exception  of  Mons.  Dunois  and  the  priest, 
who  had  travelled,  and  who  spoke,  the  one  Latin,  and  the 
other,  as  we  have  seen,  English.  But  so  far  from  assuming 
any  airs  on  account  of  these  attainments,  they  were  the  plain- 
est and  most  sociable  men  in  the  village,  and  were  reverenced 
as  much  for  their  benevolence  as  for  their  superior  knowledge. 

All  this  chimed  so  well  with  the  feelings  of  Mr.  Timothy 
Eleazer  Tompkinson,  that  he  resolved  forthwith  to  engraft 
himself  upon  this  cheerful  and  vigorous  stock.  The  next 
thing  was  to  choose  a  profession  ;  but  he  had  too  much  com- 
mon sense  to  suffer  so  small  a  matter  as  this  to  cause  him 


A   LEGEND   OF   CARONDELET.  331 

any  embarrassment.  I  am  not  aware  of  the  precise  motive 
which  determined  him  to  embrace  the  practice  of  physic.  It 
might  have  been  benevolence,  or  a  conviction  of  special  voca- 
tion for  the  healing  art ;  but  I  rather  attribute  it  to  a  motive 
which  I  suspect  too  often  allures  our  youth  to  become  the 
disciples  of  JEsculapius,  namely,  the  occult  nature  of  the 
science,  which  enables  an  adroit  practitioner  to  cover  his 
ignorance  so  completely  as  to  defy  detection.  Timothy  had 
discovered  that  when  he  practised  law,  any  spectator  could 
expose  the  fallacy  of  his  arguments ;  when  he  mended  clocks, 
they  often  refused  to  go  ;  but  the  case  was  different  with  his 
patients ;  if,  in  spite  of  his  drugs,  they  refused  to  go,  it  was 
well  for  them  and  for  him  ;  and  if  they  did  go,  nobody  knew 
whom  to  blame.  To  say  the  truth,  he  never  presumed  to 
"  exhibit"  any  drug  more  active  than  charcoal,  brickdust,  or 
flour  ;  and  his  success  had  heretofore  been  quite  marvellous. 

He  therefore  took  the  earliest  opportunity  of  disclosing  to 
his  host  that  he  was  a  physician,  and  was  disposed  to  exercise 
his  calling  for  the  benefit  of  the  good  people  of  Carondelet. 

'•'•Ek  bieti!"  exclaimed  M.  Dunois,  "un  medecin!  ver  good  ; 
ver  mosh  fine  ting  for  Vide  Poche ;  vat  can  you  cure  ?" 

"  Oh,  I  am  not  particular ;  1  can  cure  one  thing  almost  as 
well  as  another." 

"  You  can  cure  every  ting,  eh? — de  feme,  de  break-bone,  de 
catch-cold — dat  is  fine  ting,  you  shall  stay  chez  Vide  Poche" 

So  the  question  was  settled. 

Had  there  been  a  newspaper  in  Carondelet,  the  name  of 
Doctor  Timothy  Eleazer  Tompkinson,  "from  the  United 
States,"  would,  doubtless,  have  figured  in  its  columns.  But 
as  there  was  no  such  thing,  our  hero  resorted  to  other  means 
of  acquiring  notoriety.  In  the  first  place,  having  procured  a 
suitable  cabin,  the  whole  village  was  searched  for  vials,  and 
gallipots,  and  little  boxes,  and  big  bottles,  which,  being  filled 
with  liquids  and  unguents  of  various  hues,  were  "  wisely  set 
for  show,"  at  the  window.  But  the  greatest  affair  of  all  was 


**! 

332  LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 

a  certain  machine,  for  the  invention  of  which  Doctor  Tomp- 
kinson  ought  to  have  had  a  patent.  This  was  no  other  than 
a  wheel,  turning  on  an  axis,  and  surrounded  by  an  immovable 
rim,  within  which  it  revolved.  Upon  the  wheel  Timothy 
wrote  the  name  of  every  disease  which  he  could  recollect,  as 
well  as  every  dreadful  accident  to  which  flesh  is  heir ;  and  on 
the  rim  he  inscribed  the  cures.  When  the  remedy  for  any 
disorder  was  required,  the  wheel  was  set  in  motion,  and  on 
its  stopping,  the  cure  was  found  opposite  the  disease.  The 
honest  villagers  crowded  to  see  "  the  magic  wheel,"  and  vied 
in  their  courtesies  to  its  fortunate  possessor,  who  was  rising 
fast  into  celebrity,  when  his  prospects  were  clouded  by  an 
untoward  event. 

In  the  midst  of  the  village  stood  the  chapel — a  low,  oblong 
building,  whose  gable  end  was  presented  to  the  street,  and 
behind  which  was  a  cemetery,  where  all  the  graves  were 
marked  by  great  wooden  crosses,  instead  of  tombstones. 
Here  the  good  Catholics  repaired  every  morning  and  evening 
to  perform  their  devotions,  and  confess  their  peccadilloes  to 
the  priest.  Hither  one  morning,  at  an  earlier  hour  than 
usual,  was  seen  repairing  the  fair  Marie  Dunois,  with  a  step 
as  light  as  the  zephyr  and  a  face  radiant  as  the  dawn.  Kneel- 
ing beside  the  worthy  old  man,  who  placed  his  withered  hand 
upon  her  raven  locks,  she  began  in  a  low.  earnest  tone  to 
unburthen  her  mind.  Suddenly  the  ecclesiastic  started  from 
his  seat,  exclaiming, 

"  Ah,  the  insolent !  how  did  he  dare  to  make  such  an 
avowal  ?" 

"  He  meant  no  harm,  I  assure  you,  father,"  replied  Marie. 

"  How  do  you  know  that  ?" 

"  He  told  me  so,  with  his  own  mouth.  He  said  that  he 
valued  my  happiness  more  than  his  own  ;  and  that  he  would 
rather  swallow  all  the  physic  in  his  shop,  than  offend  me." 

"  Very  pretty  talk,  truly  !  Do  you  not  know  that  he  is  a 
heretic,  and  that  no  reliance  can  be  placed  in  him  1" 


A    LEGEND    OF   CARONDELET.  333 

"  Very  true,  Father  Augustin,  but  then  he  is  so  agreeable." 

"  Besides,  he  is  a  Yankee  ;  and  does  not  understand  your 
language." 

"  Oh,  I  understand  him  very  well ;  and  he  says  he  will 
teach  me  to  speak  English.  Don't  you  think  him  very  hand- 
some, Father  Augustin  ?" 

"  I  am  afraid,  my  child,  that  this  adventurer  has  imposed 
too  much  upon  your  youth  and  innocence." 

"  No,  indeed,  Father  Augustin,  I  am  old  enough  to  know 
when  a  gentleman 'is  sincere,  and  all  that.  Don't  you  think 
Doctor  Tompkinson  plays  beautifully  on  the  flute  1  and  on 
the  violin,  he  plays  almost  as  well  as  you,  father." 

"  Pshaw  !  go,  go,  I  shall  inform  your  parents." 

M  Oh  dear,  I  have  no  objections  to  that ;  they  will  feel 
highly  honoured  by  Doctor  Tompkinson's  partiality  for  me." 

Nevertheless  the  pretty  Marie  blushed  and  cast  down  her 
eyes  when  she  met  her  father  at  breakfast  that  morning,  and 
no  sooner  was  that  meal  despatched  than  she  hastened  to  her 
own  room.  Presently  came  Father  Augustin,  and  after  an 
hour's  conference,  Monsieur  Dunois,  evidently  much  agitated, 
sallied  forth  in  search  of  our  hero. 

"  Vel,  sair  /"  he  exclaimed  as  they  met,  "  I  ave  found  you 
out !  I  ave  catch  de  Yankee  /" 

"  How  ?" 

"  How  !  you  ave  court  my  daughter  ;  dat  is  how!  sacre! 
you  ave  make  love  avec  ma  Marie,  dat  is  how  enough,  Mon- 
sieur docteur" 

"  My  dear  sir,  pray  be  composed,  there  is  some  mistake." 

"  Dere  is  no  mistake.  I  vill  not  be  compose — I  will  not  be 
impose,  too!  diable!  Suppose  some  gentilhomme  court  ma 
Marie  contrair  to  my  vish,  shall  I  sit  down  compose  ?" 

"  Really,  sir,  I  see  no  reason  for  this  passion,"  replied  the 
cautious  Timothy,  who  saw  his  advantage  in  keeping  cool. 

"Sair,  lave  raison,"  exclaimed  the  enraged  Frenchman  ; 
*  I  ave  too  mosch  raison.  Vous  etez  traiire  !  you  are  de  sly 


334  LEGENDS    OF    THE    WEST. 

dem  rogue  !  You  very  pretty  docteur  !  very  ansome  Yankee 
docteur!  can  you  no  mix  de  physique,  and  draw  de  blood, 
vidout  make  love  avec  all  the  French  gal  ?" 

"  I  assure  you,  sir,  the  ladies  have  misconstrued  something 
that  I  have  said  merely  in  jest " 

"  Jest!  vat  is  jest?  ah  ha  !  raillerie ;  fon — vat,  sair,  you 
court  ma  fille  for  fon?  very  ansome  fon!  you  make  love  avec 
de  French  gal  for  fon,  eh  ?  Suppose  bam  bye  you  marry  some 
of  dem  for  fon!  diable  !  Suppose,  maybe,  I  break  all  your 
bone,  for  fon,  vid  my  cane,  eh,  how  you  like  him  ?" 

"My  dear  sir,  if  you  will  tell  me  coolly  what  you  com- 
plain of,  I  will  endeavour  to  explain." 

"  Sair,  I  complain  for  many  ting.  I  sorry  for  you  make 
love  avec  ma  fille,  vidout  my  leave — dat  is  von  ting  ;  I  very 
mosch  incense  for  you  court  ma  chile  for  fon — dat  is  nodder 
ting  ;  den  I  ave  raison  to  \>efache  for  youfaire  la  cour  a  two, 
tree  lady  all  same  tern." 

The  last  of  these  accusations  was  unjust.  Timothy  had 
not  really  intended  to  pay  his  devotions  to  more  than  one 
lady.  But  the  females  all  admired  him,  and  in  their  confi- 
dential conversations  with  the  priest,  who  was  no  great  con- 
noisseur in  the  affairs  of  the  heart,  spoke  of  him  in  such  high 
terms  of  approbation,  as  to  induce  the  holy  man  to  believe 
that  he  was  actually  playing  the  coquette.  What  Monsieur 
Dunois  and  the  priest  believed,  soon  became  the  belief  of  the 
village  ;  and  the  men  all  condemned,  while  the  ladies  sympa- 
thized with,  the  ingenious  stranger.  The  doctor,  of  course, 
changed  his  lodging  ;  and  ceased  to  have  any  intercourse  with 
Mademoiselle  Dunois,  except  by  means  of  expressive  glances 
and  significant  pressures  of  the  hand  as  they  met  in  the 
dances,  which  occurred  almost  every  evening. 

Things  now  looked  gloomy ;  our  friend  Timothy  lost  his 
practice ;  and  a  fortunate  circumstance  it  was  for  him,  as 
well  as  for  those  who  might  otherwise  have  been  his  patients. 
He  now  had  leisure  to  make  hunting  excursions,  and  expedi- 


A    LEGKND    OF    CARONDELET.  335 

tions  upon  the  water ;  and  his  skill  in  the  management  of  a 
boat,  as  well  as  his  courage  and  address  in  every  emergency, 
soon  gained  him  friends.  His  vivacity,  his  versatility  and 
promptness,  won  daily  upon  his  comrades ;  he  became  a  dar- 
ing hunter,  a  skilful  woodsman,  and  a  favourite  of  all  the 
young  men  of  the  village. 

Such  was  the  posture  of  affairs,  and  Doctor  Tompkinson 
was  sitting  one  evening  in  his  lonely  room,  quite  out  of  pa- 
tient*, as  a  punster  would  say,  when  he  was  called  in  haste  to 
visit  a  young  lady  who  had  met  with  the  misfortune  of  having 
a  fish-bone  stuck  in  her  throat.  The  priest  had  exercised  all 
his  skill — the  old  ladies  had  exhausted  their  recipes  without 
effect ;  and,  as  a  last  resort,  it  was  determined  to  consult 
Dr.  Tompkinson  and  the  magic  wheel.  Our  hero,  with  great 
alacrity,  brushed  the  dust  from  the  neglected  machine,  set  it 
in  motion,  and  waited  patiently  until  it  stopped,  when  oppo- 
site to  the  word  "  choking"  was  found  "  bleeding."  The  doc- 
tor, somewhat  perplexed,  repeated  the  experiment;  but,  the 
result  being  the  same,  resolved  to  obey  the  oracle,  and  trust 
to  fortune.  Having  prepared  his  bandages  and  lancet,  he  re- 
paired to  the  sufferer,  who,  opening  her  eyes  and  beholding 
the  operator  brandishing  a  bright  instrument,  and  naturally 
supposing  that  the  part  affected  would  be  the  first  point  of 
attack,  and  that  her  throat  would  be  cut  from  ear  to  ear,  ut- 
tered a  terrific  scream,  and — out  flew  the  bone  !  "St.  Antho- 
ny !  what  a  miraculous  cure !"  exclaimed  the  priest. 

"  Ste  Genevieve  !  what  a  noble  physician !"  cried  all  the 
ladies. 

And  the  whole  village  of  Vide  Poche  was  alive  with 
wonder  and  loud  in  praise  of  the  consummate  sagacity  of  the 
young  American.  Never  did  a  man  rise  so  suddenly  to  the 
highest  pinnacle  of  public  favour — never  did  Doctor  Tomp- 
kinson shake  so  many  hard  hands,  or  receive  so  many  bright 
smiles  and  courtesies,  as  on  this  evening.  The  news  soon 
flew  to  the  tea-table  of  Monsieur  Dunois,  who  had  already 


336  LEGENDS   OF  THE  WEST. 

begun  to  repent  of  his  harshness  to  our  hero,  and  whose  ardent 
feelings,  easily  excited,  now  prompted  him  into  the  opposite 
extreme.  Seeing  the  object  of  his  solicitude  passing  his 
door,  while  the  first  gush  of  returning  kindness  was  flowing 
through  his  heart,  he  rushed  out  and  caught  him  in  his  arms. 
"  Ah,  mon  arniT  exclaimed  he,  "I  ave  been  mistake!  I  ave 
been  impose  !  you  are  de  grand  medecin !  you  shall  marry 
avec  my  gal!"  and  without  waiting  for  any  reply,  he  dragged 
him  into  the  house. 

Shortly  after  this -event,  the  smartest  and  merriest  wed- 
ding that  ever  was  seen  in  Carondelet  was  celebrated  under 
the  hospitable  roof  of  Monsieur  Dunois,  and  our  hero  be- 
came the  happy  husband  of  the  beautiful  and  artless  Marie. 
On  that  night,  every  fiddle  and  every  foot  in  Vide  Poche  did 
its  duty  ;  even  the  priest  wore  his  best  robes  and  kindest 
smile  at  the  marriage  feast  of  the  lucky  heretic.  Mr.  Tomp- 
kinson  immediately  abandoned  the  practice  of  physic ;  the 
magic  wheel  disappeared  ;  and  he  embacked  in  business  as  an 
Indian  trader.  Here  his  genius  found  an  appropriate  field. 
With  his  band  of  adventurous  boatmen  he  navigated  the  long 
rivers  of  the  West  to  their  tributary  fountains ;  he  visited 
the  wigwams  of  tribes  afar  off,  to  whom  the  white  man  was 
not  yet  known  as  a  scourge ;  he  chased  the  buffalo  over  plains 
until  then  untrodden  by  any  human  foot  but  that  of  the 
savage,  and  returned  laden  with  honest  spoil.  Year  after 
year  he  pursued  this  toilsome  traffic ;  until,  having  earned  a 
competency,  he  sat  down  contented,  and  waxed  as  fat,  as  lazy, 
and  as  garrulous  as  any  of  his  townsmen.  He  grew  as 
swarthy  as  his  neighbours,  and  as  he  wore  a  capot  and  smoked 
a  short  pipe,  no  one  would  have  suspected  that  he  was  not  a 
native,  had  it  not  been  for  his  aunt,  the  worthy  Miss  Fidelity 
Tompkinson,  who  occupied  the  best  room  in  his  mansion, 
and  who  resolutely  refused,  through  life,  to  eat  gumbo-soup, 
to  speak  French,  or  to  pay  any  reverence  to  that  respectable 
man,  the  priest. 


THE   INTESTATE; 

OR      JERRY    SMITH'S    WIDOW. 


I  LEFT  my  residence  in  Kentucky  a  few  years  ago,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  Baltimore,  for  the  purpose  of  transacting  some 
business  with  a  mercantile  house,  with  which  I  had  been  ex- 
tensively concerned.  No  one  knew  the  object  of  my  journey ; 
because,  being  a  bachelor  in  easy  circumstances,  I  was  under 
no  obligation  to  disclose  to  any  person  more  than  I  thought 
proper.  I  left  my  farm  under  the  direction  of  a  manager,  with 
the  expectation  of  returning  in  a  few  weeks.  On  my  arrival 
in  Baltimore,  I  found  that  it  would  be  necessary  to  proceed 
to  New  Orleans.  The  vessel  in  which  I  embarked,  after  being 
baffled  and  detained  by  head  winds,  at  length  sprung  aleak, 
and  we  were  obliged  to  put  into  Havana.  Here  various  de- 
lays occurred,  and  as  I  could  neither  talk  Spanish,  play  billiards, 
nor  smoke  cigars,  the  time  hung  so  heavy  upon  my  hands, 
that  I  soon  fretted  myself  into  a  bilious  fever.  In  this  condi- 
tion my  captain  left  me,  without  so  much  as  saying  good-bye  ; 
and  when  at  last  I  reached  New  Orleans  by  another  vessel,  I 
found  the  person  with  whom  my  affair  had  been  intrusted, 
was  absent  and  not  expected  to  return  in  several  weeks. 
There  was  no  alternative  left  me,  but  either  to  abandon  the 
15 


338  LEGENDS    OF   THE    WEST. 

object  of  my  voyage,  and  risk  the  entire  loss  of  a  large  sum,  or 
by  remaining  expose  my  constitution,  already  debilitated  and 
predisposed  to  disease,  to  the  dangers  of  a  sickly  climate. 
Unfortunately  I  adopted  the  latter  course. 

I  found  the  weather  as  hot  here  as  in  Cuba,  the  language 
as  incomprehensible,  and  the  billiard-tables  quite  as  devoid 
of  interest.  The  sickly  season  was  fast  approaching,  and  as 
I  determined  not  to  escape  disease  by  flight,  I  endeavoured 
to  avoid  it  by  precaution.  It  is  amusing  enough  to  those  who 
can  look  on  from  a  distance,  to  see  the  various  expedients  by 
which  men  endeavour  to  contend  with  death;  as  if  the  great 
destroyer  was  a  foe  who  could  be  eluded  by  cunning  or 
baffled  by  force.  The  yellow  fever  assailed  the  inhabitants  ;  I 
felt  the  malady,  or  I  thought  I  felt  it  creeping  slowly  into  my 
system,  and  resorted  to  every  preventive  which  my  own  reason, 
or  the  experience  of  others,  suggested.  I  first  tried  the  San- 
grado  plan;  drank  water,  ate  vegetables,  and  suffered  phle- 
botomy. But  I  soon  found  that  I  could  not  endure  starvation, 
nor  carry  on  the  functions  of  life  without  a  due  supply  of  the 
circulating  medium.  I  resorted  to  stimulants  and  tonics — 
a  mint  julep  in  the  morning,  bitters  at  noon,  and  wine  after 
dinner ;  but,  alas !  with  no  better  success ;  for  every  time 
I  looked  in  the  glass,  I  discovered,  by  my  sallow  visage,  that 
the  enemy  was  silently  making  his  approaches.  My  eyes 
became  jaundiced,  my  pulse  heavy,  my  skin  dry,  and  my 
complexion  received  a  new  coat  of  yellow  every  day,  deep 
enir.g  at  first  into  a  delicate  orange,  then  to  a  saffron,  and 
lastly  to  a  copper-colour ;  until  I  began  to  fear  that  I  was 
actually  degenerating  into  a  Spaniard,  a  Quarteroon,  or  a 
Cherokee. 

"  Coming  events  throw  their  shadows  before," 

and  on  this  occasion  the  shadows  that  tinged  my  face  were 
but  too  prophetic.  The  dreaded  fever  came  at  last,  and  I 
sunk  into  a  state  of  helpless  and  hopeless  misery,  which  none 


THE    INTESTATE.  339 

can  truly  estimate  but  those  who  have  felt  its  poignancy.  I 
was  a  stranger,  far  from  home ;  in  a  climate  tainted  with 
disease ;  and  attacked  by  a  disorder  supposed  to  be  fatal. 
That  malady,  among  other  distressing  characteristics,  has  one 
which  is  peculiarly  aggravating.  I  know  not  whether  others 
are  similarly  affected,  but  to  me  a  fever  brings  a  state  of  ex- 
citement and  sensitiveness,  which  produces  the  most  exquisite 
torture.  My  whole  nature  is  subtilized— every  feeling  is 
quickened — and  every  sense  sharpened  into  a  painful  acute- 
ness  of  perception.  The  judgment  is  weakened,  but  the 
imagination  acquires  a  supernatural  activity  ;  the  body  sinks, 
but  the  spirit  is  feelingly  alive.  Such  was  my  state.  In  the 
early  stages  of  my  disease,  a  thousand  wild  visages  were  in 
my  brain.  I  made  rhymes  ;  repeated  pages  of  Latin,  although 
in  a  moment  of  sanity  I  could  not  have  connected  a  sen- 
tence ;  I  saw  people  whose  faces  had  been  forgotten  for  years ; 
I  called  up  events  which  had  transpired  in  my  childhood ;  I 
planned  novels,  composed  essays,  and  devised  theories ;  I 
fought  battles;  I  recalled  the  joys  and  repented  the  sins  of 
my  whole  life.  I  was  a  madman,  a  philosopher,  a  devotee, 
and  a  wag,  in  the  same  hour.  At  one  moment  I  prayed  fer- 
vently ;  at  another  I  dropped  the  doctor's  nostrums  in  my 
sleeve,  and  amused  myself  with  inventing  ingenious  answers 
to  deceive  him,  and  feigning  symptoms  which  did  not  exist.  I 
jested,  moralized,  groaned,  wept,  and  laughed  ;  and  found  in 
each  new  mood  that  came  over  me,  a  pang  as  agonizing  as 
that  which  I  had  suffered  in  the  one  that  had  passed.  Such  is 
fever !  excruciating  bodily  pain,  with  a  brilliancy  and  strength 
of  intellectual  vision,  which  looks  back  to  infancy,  and  for- 
ward to  eternity,  and  around  upon  the  whole  scene  of  life, 
while  the  mental  eye  is  crowded  with  images,  whose  number 
and  vividness  weary  and  distract  the  brain.  Loss  of  strength, 
stupor,  and  melancholy,  succeeded.  I  thought  of  home,  of 
myself,  and  of  death  ;  and  my  visions  assumed  every  day  a 
deeper  and  more  death-like  hue. 


340  LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 

There  was  one  object  which  intruded  into  all  my  dreams. 
I  need  only  name  its  character,  in  order  to  enlist  the  sympa- 
thy of  every  tender-hearted  reader.  It  was  a  young  widow — 
for  whom  I  felt  a  particular  regard,  and  to  whom — if  I  must 
speak  out — I  was  engaged  to  be  married  on  my  return 
home.  She  was  my  first  love.  I  had  paid  my  addresses  to 
her  before  her  marriage,  but  was  too  bashful  to  declare  my- 
self explicitly ;  and  while  I  balanced  matters  in  my  own 
mind,  and  sought  by  the  gentlest  hints  to  disclose  my  passion, 
she  by  some  fatality — by  mere  accident,  as  I  have  since  un- 
derstood— married  a  certain  Jeremiah  Smith!  a  fellow  for 
whom  and  for  whose  name  I  had  always  entertained  a  sovereign 
and  special  contempt.  I  did  not  blame  her  for  marrying,  for 
that  was  her  privilege  ; — but  to  wed  a  fellow  named  Jerry  !  and 
of  all  the  Jerries  in  the  world  to  pitch  upon  Jerry  Smith,  a 
dissipated,  silly  profligate,  not  worth  a  cent  in  the  world,  was 
too  bad !  It  was  flying  in  the  face  of  propriety,  and  treating 
her  other  lovers,  who  were  numerous,  with  indignity.  Poor 
girl !  she  had  a  sad  time  of  it,  for  Jerry  treated  her  worse 
than  a  brute ;  but  at  the  end  of  two  years  he  had  the  grace  to 
pop  off,  leaving  her  penniless  and  as  pretty  as  ever.  It  was 
a  longtime  after  her  widowhood  before  we  met;  I  would 
not  call  on  her,  and  as  to  courting  Jerry  Smith's  widow,  that 
seemed  out  of  the  question.  But  when  we  did  meet,  she 
looked  so  sad  and  so  beautiful,  and  smiled  so  pensively,  and 
talked  so  sweetly  of  old  times,  that  all  her  power  of  fascina- 
tion over  me  revived.  I  began  to  visit  her,  thinking  of  noth- 
ing more  at  first  than  to  show  her  my  superiority  over  Jerry 
Smith,  and  to  convince  her  how  great  a  slight  she  had  shown 
to  my  merits  in  selecting  him.  But,  in  trying  to  make  my- 
Belf  agreeable  to  the  widow,  she  became  so  very  agreeable 
to  me,  that  in  spite  of  all  my  former  resolutions  I  offered  her 
my  hand,  which  was  accepted  with  the  most  charming  grace 
imaginable.  This  was  just  before  my  journey,  and  as  that 


THE   INTESTATE.  341 

could  not  be  postponed,  we  agreed  to  but  off  the  wedding 
until  my  return. 

Such  was  the  beautiful  vision  that  had  smiled  upon  me 
through  all  my  wanderings  ;  but  which  was  now  presented  to 
my  distempered  fancy,  arrayed  in  the  brightest  colours.  In 
vain  did  I  sometimes  try  to  banish  it ;  I  thought  of  my  busi- 
ness, my  farm,  my  negroes,  my  tobacco — but  anon  came  the 
graceful  widow,  with  that  same  smile  and  blush  that  she  wore 
when  she  faintly  murmured  "  no,"  and  expressively  looked 
"  yes" — there  she  was.  hanging  fondly  over  me,  and  chiding 
my  delay. 

This  could  not  last  for  ever ;  and  just  when  every  body 
thought  that  I  was  about  to  die,  I  grew  better,  and  to  my  great 
joy  was  put  on  board  a  steamboat  bound  to  Louisville.  For 
a  day  or  two  I  continued  to  recruit ;  change  of  air,  scene,  and 
food  did  wonders :  but  the  happiness  of  a  speedy  recovery 
was  not  fated  to  be  mine.  I  had  embarked  in  a  steamboat 
of  the  largest  class,  on  board  of  which  were  four  hundred  pas- 
sengers. The  weather  was  excessively  hot,  there  were  many 
sick  among  us,  and  the  atmosphere  between  the  decks  soon  be- 
came impure.  The  yellow  fever  was  said  to  be  on  board  ; 
and  our  comfortless  situation  was  rendered  dreadful  by  the 
panic  that  ensued.  I  relapsed,  and  was  soon  pronounced 
past  recovery.  I  had  the  yellow  fever,  and  was  considered 
a  fatal  bearer  of  contagion.  It  was  thought  proper  to  re- 
move me  from  the  boat,  and  to  abandon  me  to  my  fate,  rather 
than  endanger  the  lives  of  others. 

I  was  accordingly  put  on  shore  ;  but  when  or  how  it  hap- 
pened I  know  not.  I  have  a  faint  recollection  of  being  low- 
ered into  the  yawl,  and  seeing  people  gazing  at  me  ;  I  heard 
one  say,  "  He  will  die  in  an  hour ;"  another  inquired  my  name ; 
one  voice  pitied  me;  and  another  said  I  had  made  a  happy 
escape,  from  pain.  I  thought  they  were  about  to  bury  me,  and 
became  senseless  in  an  agonizing  effort  to  speak. 

When  I  had  recovered  my  consciousness  I  found  myself  in 


342  LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 

a  cabin  on  the  shore  of  the  Mississippi.  A  kind  family  had 
received  and  nursed  me,  and  had  brought  me  back  to  life  after 
I  had  been  long  insensible.  They  were  poor  people,  who 
made  their  living  by  cutting  firewood  to  supply  the  steam- 
boats ; — a  lean  and  sallow  family,  whose  bilious  complexions 
and  attenuated  forms  attested  the  withering  influence  of  a  cor- 
rupted atmosphere.  They  had  the  languid  southern  eye,  the 
heavy  gait  and  slow  speech  of  persons  enervated  by  burning 
sunbeams  and  humid  breezes. 

For  two  weeks  I  was  unable  to  rise  from  the  miserable 
pallet  with  which  their  kindness  had  supplied  me.  I  counted 
every  log  in  the  wretched  cabin — my  eye  became  familiar 
with  all  the  coats,  gowns,  and  leathern  hunting-shirts  that 
hung  from  the  rafters — -I  noticed  each  crevice — and  set  down 
in  my  memory  all  the  furniture  and  cooking  utensils.  For 
fourteen  long  summer  days  my  eyes  had  no  other  employ- 
ment but  to  wander  over  these  few  objects  again  and  again, 
until  at  last  nothing  was  left  to  be  discovered,  and  I  closed 
them  in  the  disgust  occasioned  by  the  sameness  of  the  scene, 
or  strained  them  in  search  of  something  new  until  my  eye- 
balls ached.  But  I  had  no  more  feverish  dreams,  and  when  I 
thought  of  the  widow  Smith,  it  was  with  the  delight  of  a  newly 
awakened  hope,  and  with  the  confidence  that  better  days  and 
brighter  scenes  awaited  me  at  home. 

At  last  I  was  able  to  crawl  to  the  door  and  to  see  the  sun, 
the  green  trees,  and  the  water.  It  was  a  most  refreshing  sight, 
although  the  landscape  itself  was  any  thing  but  attractive. 
The  cabin  stood  on  the  bank  of  the  river  in  a  low  alluvion 
bottom.  It  was  surrounded  and  overhung  by  a  forest  of  im- 
mense trees,  whose  tall  dark  trunks  rose  to  the  height  of  sixty 
or  seventy  feet  without  a  branch,  and  then  threw  out  their 
vast  lateral  boughs  and  heavy  foliage  so  luxuriantly  as  entirely 
to  exclude  the  sun.  Beneath  that  dense  canopy  of  shade 
were  long,  dark,  and  gloomy  vistas,  where  the  Indian  might 
well  fancy  himself  surrounded  by  the  spirits  of  his  departed 
14 


THE   INTESTATE.  343 

friends.  The  soil  itself  had  a  dismal  aspect ;  the  whole  sur- 
face had  been  inundated  but  a  few  weeks  past;  the  fallen 
leaves  of  last  year,  saturated  and  blackened  by  long  immersion, 
were  covered  with  a  thick  deposit  of  mud,  and  the  reeking 
mass  sent  up  volumes  of  noxious  vapour.  Before  the  house 
was  a  naked  sand-bar  sparkling  and  glowing  with  heat.  In  the 
middle  of  the  river  was  a  large  sawyer,  an  immense  log,  the 
entire  trunk  of  a  majestic  oak,  whose  roots  clung  to  the  bot- 
tom, while  the  other  end,  extending  down  the  stream,  rose  to 
the  surface,  the  current  giving  it  a  heavy  and  eternal  motion  ; 
now  uprearing  some  twenty  feet  of  the  huge  black  mass  above 
the  surface,  and  then  sinking  it  again  in  the  water  with  the 
regular  swing  of  a  pendulum.  I  gazed  for  hours  at  that  per- 
petual seesaw, 'wondering  what  law  of  nature  governed  its  exact 
vibrations.  Here  the  hideous  alligator  might  be  seen,  rocking 
through  half  a  day  as  if  in  the  enjoyment  of  an  agreeable  rec- 
reation ;  while  droves  of  those  animals,  sporting  in  the  stream 
or  crawling  on  the  beach,  roared  like  so  many  bulls,  filling 
the  whole  forest  with  their  bellowings.  Added  to  those 
sounds  were  the  braying  of  the  wolf,  the  croaking  of  innu- 
merable frogs,  and  the  buzz  of  myriads  of  musquitoes.  Under 
any  other  circumstances  I  should  have  thought  myself  in  a 
pandemonium ;  but  I  had  in  the  last  few  weeks  endured  so 
much  pain,  passed  through  so  many  horrors,  and  trembled  so 
often  and  so  long  upon  the  brink  of  the  grave,  that  I  enjoyed 
the  sun,  the  breeze,  and  the  verdure,  even  with  these  dismal 
accompaniments.  I  was  even  agreeably  situated ;  for  so 
great  and  so  pleasing  was  the  change  in  having  my  mind 
relieved  from  its  abstraction,  that  I  could  gaze  placidly  for 
hours  upon  natural  objects  of  the  most  common  description 
and  converse  with  interest  on  the  most  trivial  subjects.  Of 
all  forms  none  are  so  hideous  or  so  terrifying  as  the  horrible 
creations  of  a  distempered  imagination. 
.  For  another  fortnight  I  remained  contented,  gradually  gain- 
ing strength ;  and  then  finding  myself  again  able  to  travel,  I 


344  LEGENDS   OF   THE    WEST, 

took  my  passage  in  a  steamboat  for  Louisville.  The  river 
was  now  extremely  low,  and  we  advanced  slowly,  sometimes 
running  aground  upon  the  sand-bars,  and  always  getting  for- 
ward with  difficulty.  At  length  we  reached  our  port,  and  1 
sprung  with  delight  upon  the  soil  of  Kentucky.  Among  the 
steamboats  lying  along  the  shore,  dismantled  and  laid  up  for 
the  season,  was  the  vessel  in  which  I  had  embarked  at  New 
Orleans,  a  feeble  invalid,  and  which  had  left  me  almost  a 
corpse. 

My  baggage  consisted  of  several  well-filled  trunks  ;  one  of 
which,  a  common  black  leather  travelling  trunk,  I  had  purchased 
at  New  Orleans  and  packed  with  articles  of  finery  for  my 
intended  bride.  On  setting  me  ashore  at  the  wood-cutter's, 
the  captain  of  the  boat  had  been  careful  to  land  my  several 
chattels,  and  I  now  proceeded  with  them  to  a  hotel  in  Louis- 
ville. My  baggage  was  carried  into  a  bar-room  crowded  with 
gentlemen,  and  I  had  scarcely  time  to  turn  round,  when  a  lank, 
agile  Frenchman,  with  tremendous  whiskers,  darted  forward, 
and  seizing  my  black  trunk,  seemed  to  be  about  to  appro- 
priate to  his  own  use  all  my  nuptial  presents. 

"  That  is  my  trunk,  sir,"  said  I. 

"  Aha,  sair  !  you  say  dat  your  tronk  ?  By  gar,  sair,  dat 
is  not  your  tronk  I" 

"  Excuse  me,  sir,  it  is  undoubtedly  mine." 

"  Ah !  ma  foi !  I  shall  not  excuse  you,  sair !  By  gar, 
sair,  if  you  say  dis  your  tronk  you  no  gentiman." 

As  he  said  this  he  jerked  a  key  from  his  pocket,  thrust  it 
into  the  lock,  threw  open  the  disputed  trunk,  and  to  my  utter 
consternation,  and  the  infinite  amusement  of  all  others  present, 
displayed  a  magazine  of  "sundries"  as  undoubtedly  French 
as  his  own  accent. 

"DareJ  vat  you  say  now,  sair?"  he  exclaimed  triumph- 
antly, as  he  threw  out  the  contents,  "  you  say  dat  your  coat  ? 
dat  your  waistcoat?  your  fiddle-string  ?  your  musique  note  ? 


THE   INTESTATE.  345 

your  every  ting  !  by  gar,  sair,  you  no  geutiman.  if  you  say  dat 
your  tronk  !" 

"  I  ask  your  pardon,"  said  I,  "  the  trunk  is  not  mine  ;  but 
there  is  a  strange  mystery  in  this  affair,  which  I  cannot  pretend 
to  unravel." 

"  Ah,  very  much  mystery,  for  some  oder  gentiman  get  my 
tronk,  and  make  me  wear  my  linen  in  dis  hot  contry  for  five 
six  week !" 

"  The  fault  is  not  mine  ;  I  purchased  a  trunk  at  New  Or- 
leans so  nearly  resembling  that  one,  that  if  I  was  not  con- 
vinced by  the  contents,  I  would  still  think  it  mine.  I  am 
sorry  to  have  been  the  innocent  cause  of  any  inconvenience 
to  you." 

"  Very  well ;  I  buy  my  tronk  at  New  Orleans  too — dat 
how  he  look  so  much  alike ;  very  sorry  for  you,  sair :  but  I 
cannot  let  you  have  my  tronk,  indeed,  sair." 

I  stood  mortified  and  confounded  ;  cutting  a  very  awkward 
figure  in  the  presence  of  a  large  company,  who  viewed  this 
odd  adventure  with  astonishment.  I  began  almost  to  doubt 
my  own  identity,  and  to  fancy  myself  transformed  by  magic 
into  somebody  else.  It  seemed  as  if  my  ill  luck  was  never 
to  cease.  I  dreaded  lest  this  incident  should  prove  prophetic, 
and  as  I  had  seen  my  trunk  transformed  under  my  very  nose 
into  the  trunk  of  another  gentleman,  I  feared  that  I  might  find 
my  widow  changed  into  another  man's  wife.  I  was  somewhat 
relieved  by  the  captain  of  the  steamboat,  who  had  witnessed 
this  scene,  and  who  now  stepped  forward  and  informed  me 
that  my  trunk,  which  had  been  exchanged  by  mistake,  was  on 
board  his  boat. 

Feeling  in  no"  mood  to  visit  any  of  my  acquaintances,  I 
directed  my  course  to  the  counting-house  of  a  merchant,  upon 
whom  I  held  a  draft.  On  handing  it  to  his  clerk,  he  returned 
it,  observing, 

"  The  drawee  of  this  bill  is  dead,  sir ;  and  we  have  in- 
structions not  to  pay  it." 

•        15* 


34:6  LEGENDS    OF   THE    WEST. 

"  I  am  the  drawee,"  returned  I. 

"There  must  be  some  mistake,"  replied  the  clerk  very 

coldly;  "Mr.  M ,  in  whose  favour  that  bill  is  drawn,  is 

certainly  dead.  We  have  it  from  his  heir." 

"  Heir !  don't  you  suppose,  sir,  that  I  am  the  best  judge 
whether  I  am  dead  or  alive  !" 

"  Can't  say,  sir — sorry  to  dispute  any  gentleman's  word — 
but  my  orders — " 

"  Sir,  you  don't  only  dispute  my  word,  you  deny  my  exist- 
ence— don't  you  see  me,  and  hear  me,  and  can't  you  feel  me  ?" 
said  I,  laying  my  long,  cold  hand  upon  his  soft,  white  palm. 

"Very  sorry,"  repeated  the  book-keeper,  withdrawing  his 
hand  as  if  a  viper  had  touched  it,  "  but  my  principal  is  absent 

— I  act  under  instructions — and  Mr.  M 's  account  is  closed 

in  our  books." 

"  This  is  the  strangest  turn  of  all,"  said  I  to  myself,  as  I 
stepped  into  the  street.  "  I  am  dead — my  heir  has  entered 
upon  the  estate — the  widow  mourns  over  my  grave  !  Very 
pretty,  truly  !  I  shall  next  be  told  that  this  is  not  Kentucky, 
and  that  I  am  not,  and  never  was,  Edward  M ." 

Angry  and  dispirited,  I  turned  into  a  public  reading-room 
and  sought  for  a  file  of  newspapers  published  in  my  own 
neighbourhood.  I  looked  for  an  old  date,  and  soon  found — 
my  own  obituary  !  and  learned  that  in  my  untimely  death 
society  had  been  deprived  of  a  useful  member ;  my  kindred, 
of  an  affectionate  relative ;  and  my  servants,  of  a  kind  master ! 
Upon  further  research,  I  stumbled  upon  a  notice  from  my 
administrator — the  next  of  kin — inviting  all  my  debtors  to 
settle  their  accounts.  I  saw  no  announcement  of  the  widow's 
dissolution — and  concluding  that  her  strength  of  mind  had 
enabled  her  to  survive  my  "  untimely  death,"  I  determined  to 
set  out  for  home  instantly,  as  well  to  relieve  the  burthen  of 
her  sorrows,  as  to  resume  the  privilege  of  collecting  my  own 
debts. 

After  a  tiresome  journey,  I  arrived  on  the  night  of  the 


THE   INTESTATE.  347 

third  day  in  my  own  neighbourhood.  Concealed  by  the  dark- 
ness, I  reached  my  own  door  without  being  recognised.  Two 
of  my  negro  men  stepped  up  to  the  carriage  as  it  stopped, 
and  of  them,  in  a  disguised  voice,  I  inquired  for  myself,  by 
my  Christian  and  surname. 

"  Bless  you,  sir,"  replied  one  of  them,  "  old  master's  dead 
and  buried  long  ago !" 

"  And  who  is  your  master  now  1" 

"Why,  young  master, — old  master's  nephew,  Mr.  Charles." 

I  stepped  out  of  the  carriage,  and  the  negroes  no  sooner 
beheld  my  form  in  the  moonlight  than  they  shouted,  -"A 
ghost !  old  master's  ghost !"  and  scampered  into  the  house. 
I  entered  after  them,  but  could  not  obtain  an  audience  of  any 
human  being.  My  servants  fled  when  they  perceived  me, 
screaming  with  surprise  and  terror.  I  followed  them  to  the 
kitchen.  It  was  deserted  by  all  but  an  old  palsied  woman. 
She  reminded  me  that  she  had  been  my  nurse,  that  she  had 
served  me  faithfully  all  my  lifetime,  and  begged  my  spirit  not 
to  injure  her.  She  asked  me  affectionately  what  troubled  me, 
and  promised  to  do  any  thing  in  her  power  to  enable  me  to 
repose  quietly  in  my  grave.  She  told  me  I  had  been  a 
good  and  kind  master,  and  that  all  my  people  liked  me  while 
I  lived,  and  besought  me  not  to  make  them  hate  my  memory, 
by  haunting  them  after  my  death.  And  finally  she  told  me 
that  the  spirit  of  a  gentleman  like  me,  who  had  been  well 
raised,  might  find  some  better  employment  than  that  of  dis- 
turbing a  peaceable  family  and  scaring  a  parcel  of  poor  negroes. 
I  was  too  much  affected  to  make  any  reply  to  old  Elsey,  and 
turning  from  her,  stepped  into  the  house.  In  the  hall  stood  a 
gentleman  and  lady,  who  had  been  drawn  thither  by  the 
uproar.  They  were  the  "next  of  kin"  and — the  widow 
Smith  !  The  former,  being  a  man  of  spirit,  stood  his  ground, 
but  the  lady  screamed  and  fled. 

"Will  you  be  good  enough  to  tell  me,  sir,"  said  I, 
"  whether  I  am  dead  or  alive  ?" 


348  LEGENDS   OF  THE   WEST. 

"We  have  mourned  your  death,"  said  my  nephew,  with  an 
embarrassed  air,  "  but  I  am  happy  to  find  that  you  are  alive, 
and  most  sincerely  welcome  you  home." 

"  Supposing  the  fact  to  be  that  I  am  alive,"  said  I,  "  will 
you  do  me  the  kindness  to  tell  me  whether  I  am  master  of 
this  house  1" 

"  Surely  you  are,  and — " 

"  Do  not  interrupt  me ;  you  are  my  administrator,  I  find  ; 
do  you  claim  also  to  be  my  guardian  ?  these  characters  are 
not  usually  doubled." 

"  I  claim  nothing,  sir,  but  an  opportunity  to  explain  those 
matters  which  seem  to  have  offended  you  so  deeply." 

"  Then,  sir,  being  master  here,  and  having  neither  adminis- 
trator nor  guardian,  I  desire  to  be  alone." 

The  young  man  looked  offended,  and  then  smiled  super- 
ciliously, as  if  he  thought  me  insane,  and  turning  on  his  heel 
walked  off. 

I  retired  to  a  chamber,  and  having  with  some  difficulty 
drawn  my  servants  about  me  and  convinced  them  of  my  iden- 
tity, took  supper  and  went  to  bed.  About  the  widow  I  made 
no  inquiry;  circumstances  looked  so  suspicious  that  I  dreaded 
to  hear  the  truth. 

In  the  morning  I  rose  late.  I  sallied  forth  and  gazed  with 
delight  upon  my  fields,  my  trees,  and  the  thousand  familiar 
objects  that  are  comprised  within  that  one  endearing  word — 
home.  My  negroes  crowded  about  me,  to  welcome  me,  inquire 
after  my  health,  and  tell  me  all  that  had  happened  to  them. 
Passing  over  these  matters  as  briefly  as  possible,  I  proceeded 
to  probe  the  subject  nearest  my  heart,  and — what  think  you, 
gentle  reader,  was  the  result  ? — the  widow  Smith  was  mar- 
ried to  the  "  next  of  kin !"  They  had  left  my  house  at  the 
dawn,  that  morning. 

I  have  only  to  add  that  I  have  entirely  recovered  my  health 
and  spirits ;  and  that  as  Jerry  Smith's  widow  has  twice 
slipped  through  my  fingers,  undervalued  my  character,  slighted 


THE   INTESTATE.  349 

my  affection,  and  at  last  married  that  wild  scamp,  my  nephew, 
whom  I  had  before  thought  of  disinheriting,  I  am  determined 
that  neither  of  them  shall  ever  touch  a  dollar  of  my  money ; 
and  to  effect  this  laudable  object  I  am  resolved  not  to  live 
single,  nor  die  intestate. 


MICHEL  DE  COUCY. 

A  TALE  OF  FORT  CHAKTRES. 


/~\N  a  pleasant  day  in  September,  1750,  two  horsemen  were 
^  seen  slowly  winding  their  way  along  the  road  leading  by 
the  margin  of  the  Mississippi  river,  from  the  French  village 
of  Notre  Dame  de  Kaskaskia,  to  Fort  Chartres.  One  of  them, 
who  appeared  to  be  about  forty  years  of  age,  was  a  man  of 
gay  and  martial  appearance.  He  wore  an  elegant  military 
undress,  and  rode  gracefully  on  a  fine  and  high-mettled  horse. 
He  was  the  commandant  of  Fort  Chartres,  and  in  virtue  of 
that  office,  governor  of  the  French  settlements  in  Illinois, 
which  he  ruled  with  a  power  little  less  than  despotic,  but  with 
a  mildness  that  savoured  more  of  parental  than  of  sovereign 
authority.  His  companion  was  the  superior  of  the  convent 
of  Jesuits  at  Kaskaskia,  of  whose  personal  appearance  we 
have  no  accurate  account ;  but  we  suppose  that  he  was  a  tall, 
lank,  homely  man,  with  a  cumiing,  mysterious,  austere  look, 
such  as  monks  and  superiors  of  convents  usually  wear  on 
public  occasions,  and  who,  while  he  ruled  his  own  little  com- 
munity with  a  high  hand,  acquired  considerable  influence  in 
the  affairs  of  the  colony  by  his  deferential  deportment  towards 
.the  commander  of  his  majesty's  forces.  The  riders  were  fol- 


352  LEGENDS    OP   THE    WEST. 

lowed  by  a  small  train,  which  seemed  to  be  paraded  rather 
for  show  than  for  protection,  consisting  of  half  a  dozen  gaudily 
dressed  huzzars,  mounted  on  the  small  fiery  horses  of  the 
country,  which,  having  run  wild  in  their  early  years,  retained 
ever  after  their  original  impatience  of  restraint. 

Their  way  led  through  that  beautiful  plain  which  is  now 
called  the  American  bottom,  an  extensive  tract  of  rich,  flat, 
alluvial  soil,  which  lies  along  the  eastern  shore  of  the  Missis- 
sippi and  Illinois,  and  reaches  from  the  river  to  the  bluffs, 
and  which  is  justly  regarded  as  containing  the  greatest  body 
of  fertile  land  in  this  country,  or  perhaps  in  the  universe. 
Part  of  this  plain  is  covered  with  timber,  the  remainder  is 
open  prairie,  and  the  whole  interspersed  with  groves  of  vine 
and  native  fruit.  Here  are  to  be  seen  the  indigenous  produc- 
tions of  this  climate  in  the  greatest  variety  and  highest  per- 
fection. The  tallest  cotton-wood  and  sycamore  trees,  which 
rear  their  enormous  shafts  to  an  amazing  height,  are  covered 
with  vines  equally  aspiring,  while  the  thickets  are  matted 
together  with  smaller  vines,  and  loaded  with  innumerable 
clusters  of  fine  grapes.  Our  travellers  beheld  groves  of  the 
wild  apple,  whose  blossoms  in  the  spring  season  fill  the  air 
of  this  region  with  a  delightful  fragrance,  and  whose  limbs 
were  now  bending  under  loads  of  useless  fruit.  They  saw 
hundreds  of  acres  covered  with  the  wild  plumb,  of  which 
there  are  many  varieties,  deepening  in  colour  from  a  light 
yellow  to  a  deep  crimson,  and  the  ripe  fruit  of  which  now 
hung  in  amazing  quantities,  and  in  appearance  rich  and  beau- 
tiful beyond  description.  The  walnut,  the  peccan,  and  other 
fine  nuts  abounded,  the  whole  combining  with  the  remarkable 
beauty  of  the  autumn  sky  in  this  country,  and  the  serenity 
and  mildness  of  the  atmosphere,  to  fill  the  mind  with  ideas  of 
luxury  and  plenty. 

The  plain,  which  at  some  places  spreads  out  to  the  breadth 
of  twelve  miles,  was  confined  to  a  narrow  strip,  at  the  point 
now  travelled  by  the  riders  whom  we  have  described,  and 


MICHEL   DE   COUCY.  353 

their  path,  which  sometimes  approached  the  river,  at  others 
wound  along  the  foot  of  the  bluffs,  a  ridge  of  abrupt  hills 
rising  perpendicularly  to  the  height  of  more  than  a  hundred 
feet,  and  supposed  to  have  been  anciently  washed  by  the  Mis- 
sissippi. Advancing  into  the  Prairie  de  Rocher,  they  beheld 
an  open  plain,  bounded  on  one  side  by  the  river,  and  on  the 
other  by  a  tall  barrier  of  solid  rock,  whose  summit  projects 
over  its  base,  and  whose  highest  points,  which  are  beautifully 
rounded,  are  covered  with  rich  soil  and  prairie  grass,  and  here 
and  there  ornamented  with  a  single  tree.  At  the  foot  of  this 
rock,  and  extending  thence  to  the  river,  was  a  large  village, 
called,  in  reference  to  its  situation,  the  village  of  Prairie  de 
Rocher.  Adjoining  this  was  a  large  enclosure  called  the 
"  Common  Field,"  which  was  held  in  severalty  by  the  inhab- 
itants, each  of  whom  owned  a  greater  or  less  number  of  acres, 
according  to  his  ability,  and  the  whole  of  which  was  sur- 
rounded by  a  common  fence  without  partitions.  Each  person 
cultivated  his  own  part,  and  had  a  right  to  pasturage  at  proper 
seasons  in  proportion  to  the  quantity  of  his  land  ;  and  the 
whole  business  of  fencing,  tilling,  and  pasturing,  was  regulated 
by  village  ordinances,  and  conducted  with  a  harmony  which 
is  not  known  to  have  existed  in  any  other  community  simi- 
larly situated.  Lots  in  the  "  Common  Field"  were  held  by 
purchase  or  grant  from  the  French  crown,  the  rest  of  the 
ground  in  and  around  the  village  was  held  by  the  inhabitants 
in  common,  and  portions  of  it  were  reduced  to  private  prop- 
erty by  a  simple  procedure.  When  a  young  man  married, 
or  a  person  wished  to  settle  in  the  village,  an  instrument  of 
writing  was  drawn  and  signed  by  all  the. inhabitants,  vesting 
in  him  the  fee-simple  of  a  lot  for  building,  and  equal  rights 
with  the  others  in  their  common  property.  But  we  detain 
the  reader  too  long  from  the  gay  and  gentle  company  who 
were  about  to  honour  the  rustic  villagers  with  their  august 
presence. 

They  had  passed  the  Common  Field,  now  covered  with  a 


354  LEGENDS    OF    T  it  K    W  K  s T . 

ripening  crop  of  Indian  corn,  and  woe  entering  the  village 
when  their  attention  was  attracted  by  a  crowd  of  persons  as- 
sembled in  front  of  the  cottage  of  Michel  de  Coucy.  Honest 
Michel  himself,  who  when  at  home  usually  sat  under  a 
spreading  catalpa  before  his  own  door,  with  a  red  cap  on  his 
head,  and  a  short  black  pipe  in  his  mouth,  the  very  emblem 
of  content  and  placid  composure,  now  stood  in  the  midst  of 
the  concourse,  weeping,  raving,  and  threatening,  with  the  most 
vehement  gestures.  He  was  a  small,  thin,  dark  man,  with 
black  hair,  and  an  eye  that  he  might  have  been  suspected  of 
inheriting  from  the  aborigines,  had  not  his  character  been  so 
genuinely  French  as  fully  to  redeem  the  purity  of  descent. 
He  was  as  honest  as  gay,  and  as  contented  a  soul  as  ever 
breathed,  famed  for  the  simplicity  and  benevolence  of  his  char- 
acter, as  well  as  for  a  vein  of  humour,  which  rendered  him  at 
all  times  an  agreeable  companion.  In  fact,  to  smoke  his  pipe, 
to  do  kind  actions,  and  to  tell  pleasant  tales  and  sly  jest's, 
seemed  to  be  the  business  of  his  life,  his  other  occupations 
being  of  secondary  importance.  Bom  in  the  wilds  of  Canada, 
and  reared  in  the  woods  and  upon  the  water,  he  was  equally 
at  home,  whether  paddling  his  canoe  to  the  sources  of  our 
largest  rivers,  or  wandering  alone  through  the  trackless  forest. 
After  his  emigration  to  the  borders  of  the  Mississippi,  his 
chief  occupation  became  that  of  a  boatman,  and  none  pulled 
a  better  oar  or  sung  with  truer  cadence  the  animating  notes 
of  the  boat  song  than  Michel  de  Coucy.  The  Canadian  boat- 
men are  the  hardiest  and  merriest  of  men ;  if  their  boat  is 
stranded  they  plunge  into  the  water  in  all  weathers,  diving 
and  swimming  about  as  if  in  their  native  element ;  if  it 
storms,  they  sleep  or  revel  under  the  protection  of  a  high 
bank,  and  whether  pulling  down  the  stream,  or  pushing  labo- 
riously against  it,  the  shores  ring  with  their  voices.  One  will 
recount  his  adventures,  another  will  imitate  the  Indian  yell, 
the  roar  of  the  alligator,  the  hissing  of  the  snake,  or  the  chat- 
tering of  the  paroquet ;  and  anon  the  whole  will  chant  their 


MICHEL   DE   Co UCY.  355 

rude  ditties  concerning  the  dangers  of  rapids,  snags,  and 
sawyers,  or  the  pleasures  of  home,  the  vintage,  and  the  danoe. 
Michel  was  an  adept  at  all  these  things,  and  he  loved  them 
as  a  Cossack  loves  plunder,  or  a  Dutchman  hard  work  and 
money.  He  was  the  darling  of  the  crew,  for  he  could  skin  a 
deer,  cook  a  fish,  scrape  a  chin  or  a  fiddle  with  equal  adroit- 
ness, and  always  performed  such  offices  so  good-humouredly, 
that  his  companions,  in  compliment  to  his  universal  genius, 
kept  it  in  continual  employment.  When  the  boat  was"  in 
motion  he  was  always  tugging  at  the  oar  or  the  fiddle-bow, 
when  it  landed,  and  the  crew  sat  round  their  camp  fire,  he 
cooked,  sung,  and  told  merry  stories ;  on  Sunday  he  shaved 
the  whole  company,  even  at  the  risk  of  neglecting  his  own 
visage,  and  was  after  all  the  merriest  and  most  respectable  man 
in  the  boat.  With  all  this,  Michel  was  temperate  and  careful 
of  his  earnings,  which  he  shrewdly  husbanded  in  a  leathern 
purse  during  every  voyage,  and  handed  over  on  his  return  to 
his  wife,  who  hid  them  under  the  floor  of  their  cabin.  Such 
talents  could  not  fail  to  bring  honour  and  promotion  to  their 
possessor  ;  Michel  became  popular  among  his  comrades,  and 
having  acquired  experience  in  his  craft,  in  a  few  years  rose  to 
the  charge  of  a  boat  and  the  title  of  captain. 

Having  acquired  a  decent  competency  by  the  time  he 
reached  the  meridian  of  life,  Michel  thought  it  expedient,  and 
his  wife  thought  so  too,  that  he  should  consult  his  own  com- 
fort for  the  rest  of  his  days.  He  therefore  abandoned  his  frail 
cabin,  which  in  truth  was  beginning  to  stumble  about  his  ears, 
and  built  a  goodly  house  with  substantial  mud  walls,  sur- 
rounded on  all  sides  by  cool  piazzas,  and  planted  his  yard  full 
of  catalpas  and  black  locusts.  He  purchased  a  large  lot  in  the 
common  field,  and  took  unto  himself  herds  of  black  cattle 
and  droves  of  French  ponies. 

Michel,  however,  still  loved  the  water,  and  like  a  sprightly 
spaniel,  could  be  induced  to  leap  into  it  upon  the  slightest  in- 
vitation.  He  continued  to  make  a  voyage  of  three  or  four 


356  LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 

months  annually,  and  spent  the  remainder  of  his  time  in 
cultivating  his  crop,  smoking  his  pipe,  attending  the  king-balls, 
and  playing  the  fiddle.  He  had  his  crosses  like  other  men  : 
his  chimney  often  smoked,  and  Madame  Felicite,  his  wife, 
sometimes  got  out  of  temper ;  his  cattle  occasionally  had  the 
murrain,  the  frost  nipped  his  corn,  and  more  than  once  he  lost 
both  boat  and  cargo  by  running  on  the  snags  and  sawyers  of 
the  Mississippi.  But  none  of  these  things  ever  disturbed  the 
placid  spirit  of  Michel ;  a  single  shrug,  and  a  "  Sacre  /"  were 
the  strongest  symptoms  of  emotion  which  ever  were  elicited 
from  him  by  such  disasters,  and  he  would  most  frequently 
smile,  and  exclaim  in  the  moment  of  misfortune,  "  C'essttoute 
le  meme  chose.'"1  It  is  said  that  he  could  even  bear  the  break- 
ing of  a  fiddle-string,  a  lecture  from  his  wife,  or  a  public 
admonition  from  the  priest  for  not  going  to  confession,  with 
the  same  composure  which  he  preserved  on  less  provoking 
occasions.  He  had  his  joys,  too,  and  these  greatly  predomina- 
ted. His  wife  was  an  excellent  manager,  made  charming 
gumbo  soup,  and  could  interpret  dreams;  his  daughter,  Gene- 
vieve,  was  as  fair  as  the  swans  that  sailed  on  the  Mississippi ; 
and  his  neighbours  loved  him.  He  was  head  man  at  the 
balls ;  for  as  they  had  no  hireling  fiddlers  in  those  days,  the 
honourable  office  of  musician  was  filled  in  turn  by  such  heads 
of  families  as  were  blessed  with  musical  ears  and  limber 
elbows ;  and  none  touched  the  violin  so  cleverly  as  Michel, 
who  continually  cheered  the  dancers  with  his  voice,  as  he  kept 
time  with  head  and  feet.  Happy  days  of  equality  and  glee  ! 
when  every  man  who  owned  a  cabin,  a  car,  and  a  pony  was  a 
French  gentleman,  when  the  evening  gun  of  the  fort  and  the 
matin  -bell  of  the  chapel  were  daily  heard ;  and  the  song  and 
dance  prevailed,  wherever  a  plank  floor,  a  French  girl,  and  a 
fiddle  could  be  paraded. 

Such  being  the  character  and  standing  of  worthy  Michel  de 
Coucy,  it  is  not  surprising  that  the  whole  village  of  Prairie  de 
Rocher  should  have  been  astonished  at  beholding  him  in  the 


MICHEL    DE    COUCY.  357 

attitudes  of  rage  and  grief,  swearing  and  wailing,  and  beating 
the  air  with  his  clenched  fists;  nor  that  even  such  august  per- 
sonages, as  the  commandant  of  Fort  Chartres  and  the  superior 
of  the  Jesuits  at  Notre  Dame  de  Kaskasia,  should  marvel 
thereat.  Nor  was  Michel  a  man  whose  sorrows  would  be 
slightly  viewed  by  his  neighbours ;  he  had  as  large  a  house, 
as  much  land,  and  as  many  horned  brutes  and  ponies  as  the 
best  of  them  ;  and  a  man  in  easy  circumstances  is  always  sure 
of  sympathy  when  in  trouble.  Michel,  moreover,  was  popu- 
lar ;  and  when  the  voice  of  distress  issued  from  his  cottage, 
every  one  ran  to  condole  with  him  ;  even  the  commandant 
and  the  superior  of  the  Jesuits  felt  it  incumbent  on  them  to 
rein  up  their  steeds  and  inquire  the  cause  of  this  unusual 
disturbance. 

It  seems  that  Michel  having  been  many  years  employed 
as  a  carrier  of  merchandise  for  others,  began  at  last  to  think 
that  he  might  as  well  freight  his  boat  upon  his  own  account ; 
and  had  for  the  last  two  or  three  years  dabbled  pretty  exten- 
sively in  the  ticklish  business  of  buying  and  selling.  The 
long-cherished  hoard  of  Spanish  dollars,  which  his  wife  had 
buried  under  the  cabin-floor,  had  been  transferred,  when  he 
removed  to  his  new  house,  to  a  similar  place  of  deposit,  a 
plank  having  been  left  unfastened  for  that  express  purpose. 
But  when  he  embarked  in  traffic,  those  silver  coins  were  ex- 
changed for  furs,  the  furs  for  goods,  wares,  and  merchandise, 
and  the  latter  for  notes  of  hand  and  fair  promises.  Still 
Michel  and  his  wife  were  content ;  fur  the  nominal  sum  se- 
cured by  fair  words  and  due-bills  trebled  the  actual  amount 
that  had  been  disbursed  in  hard  money,  and  they  doubted  not 
that  it  would  all  come  in,  in  due  time.  But  in  the  mean 
while  he  had  entered  into  some  pecuniary  engagements  which 
could  be  discharged  only  with  cash,  and  found  himself  in  an 
embarrassing  situation.  He  had  never  before  owed  money, 
and  had  now  to  face  a  creditor  for  the  first  time!  In  this  di- 
lemma, being  unwilling  to  publish  his  situation  to  his  own 


358  ^ 

neighbours,  he  bethought  himself  of  a  certain  Pedro  Garcia, 
a  Spaniard,  who  lived  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  in 
a  wilderness  track  of  broken  country,  where  .no  law  was 
known,  and  where  the  military  arm  of  the  French  authority 
could  scarcely  reach  him.  This  Pedro  was  a  black- whiskered, 
ill-looking  fellow,  who  had  amassed  a  large  fortune,  nobody 
knew  how.  He  had  a  farm,  and  a  good  many  slaves;  he 
traded  with  the  Indians,  wrho  hated  him,  and  went  often  to 
New  Orleans,  were  he  lost  and  won  large  sums  by  gambling, 
and  was  more  than  once  in  the  hands  of  the  police.  Nobody 
liked  Pedro;  the  French  had  little  to  say  to  hi  in,  and  the  In- 
dians looked  with  distrust  at  the  long  dirk  which  he  carried 
rather  ostentatiously  in  his  bosom.  But  Michel  wanted  mo- 
ney, and  Pedro  had  it,  and  without  more  ado,  the  distressed 
Frenchman  applied  to  the  Spaniard  .for  a  loan.  Pedro,  who 
knew  that  Michel  was  abundantly  able  to  repay  him,  and 
saw  that  he  was  only  hard  pressed  at  the  moment,  in  conse- 
qnence  of  his  reluctance  to  call  upon  those  who  owed  him, 
readily  advanced  the  sum  required,  taking  Michel's  bond  for 
the  amount,  payable  at  the  end  of  six  months,  with  usury. 

The  six  months  soon  rolled  round,  and  Michel  was  not 
prepared  to  pay  his  bond.  He  had  waited  from  day  to  day 
in  the  vain  hope  that  his  debtors  would  discharge  their  dues; 
and  at  last  finding  that  they  did  not  come  forward  volunta- 
rily, he  deferred  from  hour  to  hour  the  disagreeable  task  of 
dunning  them,  because  it  was  so  abhorrent  to  his  feelings, 
that  he  could  not  muster  sufficient  resolution  to  undertake  it. 
The  day  of  payment  came,  and  with  it  came  Pedro  Garcia, 
and  Michel  was  constrained  to  acknowledge  that  he  could  not 
fulfil  his  engagement.  Garcia  knit  his  black  brows  and 
swore  like  a  trooper,  and  although  his  debtor  spoke  fairly  and 
humbly,  and  made  liberal  propositions,  the  relentless  creditor 
would  take  nothing  but  his  money,  and  forthwith  hied  to  the 
civil  magistrate  of  the  village.  The  minister  of  the  law 
heard  the  application  with  surprise,  and  expressed  in  emphatic 


MICHEL   DE   Cotrcv.  369 

language  his  astonishment  that  a  subject  of  Spam  should 
think  of  suing  a  subject  of  the  Grand  Monarque,  within  the 
territory  of  France,  and  above  all  that  he  should  have  the  as- 
surance to  propose  to  employ  an  officer  of  the  French  crown, 
in  so  flagrant  an  act  of  contumacy.  "  The  laws  of  France," 
said  this  worthy  functionary,  "  are  made  for  the  benefit  of  the 
French  people  and  the  honour  of  their  king,  and  not  for 
Spaniards,  and  my  duty  is  to  administer  those  laws  to  my 
fellow-subjects,  not  to  foreigners.  Go,  you  are  not  under  my 
jurisdiction — I  know  nothing  of  you, — and  am  only  in  doubt 
whether  your  attempt  to  employ  the  laws  of  my  country 
against  a  Frenchman  is  not  a  high  misdemeanour." 

Pedro,  finding  that  he  could  obtain  no  satisfaction  from 
the  civil  authority,  determined  to  resort  to  the  military,  and 
as  the  commandant  was  absent,  laid  the  matter  before  his 
lieutenant.  This  gentleman  called  to  his  assistance  the  chap- 
lain, a  very  worthy  priest,  who  having  been  long  attached  to 
the  army,  was  experienced  in  questions  of  meum  and  tuum, 
and  being  thus  fortified,  proceeded  to  hear  the  complaint,  and 
examine  the  papers  of  Pedro  Garcia. 

"  Ma  foil  what  is  this  ?"  exclaimed  Captain  de  la  Val,  as 
he  glanced  his  eye  over  the.  unlucky  instrument  of  writing, 
laid  before  him  by  the  Spaniard. 

"It  is  Michel  de  Coucy's  bond,  for  the  sum  I  loaned 
him,"  replied  the  plaintiff. 

"  Diable  !  how  shall  I  know  this  to  be  a  bond,  seeing  that 
it  is  written  in  an  unknown  tongue?' 

"  It  is  Spanish,  a  language  which  your  excellency  no  doubt 
speaks  with  the  elegance  and  propriety  of  a  native  Cas- 
tilian." 

"  You  do  my  excellency  unmerited  honour,  and  must  per- 
mit me  to  inform  you,  that  officially  I  am  not  to  be  presumed 
to  know  any  other  language  than  my  own." 

"The  purport  of  the  instrument,"  said  Garcia,  "may 
readily  be  ascertained  by  means  of  an  interpreter." 


360  LEGENDS   OF   THE  WEST. 

"  Indeed  !"  exclaimed  the  officer,  "  can  you  not  also  pro- 
vide a  deputy-commanding  officer  to  perform  the  rest  of  my 
duty  1  If  I  must  read  your  papers  by  proxy,  I  may  as  well 
decide  in  the  same  way." 

"  Captain  de  la  Val,"  said  the  priest,  "  takes  a  very  pro- 
per and  nice  distinction.  The  first  step  in  the  adjustment  of 
a  controversy  is  to  ascertain  the  true  intent  and  meaning  of 
the  contract  between  the  parties  litigant,  and  it  would  ill  be- 
come the  dignity  of  any  high  tribunal  to  entrust  the  de- 
cision of  that  important  point  to  an  irresponsible  agent." 

"  What  shall  I  do  ?"  inquired  the  alarmed  money-lender. 

"  That  I  cannot  tell,"  replied  the  officer ;  "  of  this,  however, 
I  am  clear,  that  a  paper  written  in  Spanish  can  be  of  no 
validity  in  a  French  court,  for  there  would  be  an  obvious 
absurdity  in  requiring  the  ministers  of  justice,  whether  civil  or 
military,  to  decide  on  that  which  they  cannot  read." 

"  Besides,"  said  the  priest,  who  began  to  envy  the  wisdom 
of  the  captain,  "his  most  Christian  Majesty  has  appointed 
notaries  whose  business  it  is  to  draw  such  writings  between 
parties,  and  as  this  paper  was  not  drawn  by  a  proper  notarial 
scribe,  we  cannot  know  whether  it  is  in  due  form  of  law." 

"  What  matters  it  about  form,"  said  the  Spaniard,  "  if  the 
writing  contains  a  substantial  promise  1" 

"  My  son,"  replied  the  chaplain,  "  you  do  not  understand 
these  matters.  If  a  man  makes  a  verbal  engagement,  the 
form  thereof  is  not  material,  because  in  that  case  the  creditor 
trusts  to  the  honour  and  honesty  of  the  debtor,  and  the  latter 
is  bound  in  conscience  not  to  abuse  that  confidence ;  but  if 
the  parties  reduce  their  contract  to  writing,  the  creditor  re- 
poses his  trust,  not  in  the  virtue  of  the  other  party,  but  in  the 
binding  operations  of  the  law,  and  if  the  work  of  the  law  is 
not  made  secure,  the  creditor  must  lose  thereby,  for  he  looked 
to  that  only  for  his  payment." 

"  My  bond  is  sufficient  in  law,"  contended  Pedro;  "it  is  in 
the  form  used  by  our  Spanish  notaries." 


MICHEL    DE    Coucv.  361 

"Worse  and  worse,"  exclaimed  the  priest;  "  if  his  excel- 
lency the  commanding  officer  should  undertake  to  decide  upon 
the  validity  of  a  writing  authenticated  by  a  Spanish  function- 
ary, it  would  doubtless  be  considered  by  his  most  Catholic 
Majesty  as  a  very  indelicate  interference,  inasmuch  as  he 
would  be  enforced,  not  only  to  weigh  the  language  and  con- 
strue the  laws  of  Spain,  but  to  look  into  the  acts  of  the  civil 
magistrates  of  that  nation  ;  and  the  consequence  might  be  a 
war  between  two  Christian  princes." 

Pedro  Garcia,  though  he  could  not  comprehend  how  the 
settling  of  a  dispute  between  himself  and  Michel  de  Coucy 
could  become  the  cause  of  war  between  two  European  kings, 
began  to  think  that  possibly  he  had  mistaken  his  remedy,  and 
making  a  sulky  bow  was  about  to  retire,  when  Captain  de  la 
Val  called  him  back  and  said, 

"Senor  Garcia,  it  is  well  known  that  Michel  is  no  scholar, 
how  then  could  he  execute  that  bond  ]" 

"He  has  made  his  mark,"  replied  the  other,  showing  the 
cross  at  the  foot  of  the  bond. 

"Aha!  but  that  same  cross  might  stand  with  equal  pro- 
priety for  the  name  of  any  Catholic  in  Christendom." 

"  But  I  can  prove  by  the  notary  that  Michel  made  it." 

"Like  enough;  but  Michel  does  not  understand  Spanish, 
how  then  could  he  know  the  contents  of  that  paper  ?" 

"  It  was  interpreted  to  him." 

"  But  how  can  I  know  that  it  was  interpreted  correctly  ?  In 
short,"  continued  the  officer,  "  I  am  induced  to  believe  that 
this  document  is  a  forgery,  and  that  it  is  my  duty  to  lodge 
you  in  the  guard  chamber,  until  the  return  of  the  commandant." 

"  And  if  it  be  a  forgery,"  added  the  priest,  "  there  is  little 
doubt  in  my  mind  that  the  counterfeiting  the  sign  of  the  cross 
is  an  offence  against  our  holy  church,  and  of  much  higher  grade 
than  a  common  forgery." 

Pedro,  finding  that  the  aspect  of  his  case  grew  darker  every 
moment,  and  fearing  that  he  might  be  in  the  end  handed  over 
16 


362  LEGENDS    OF    THE    W  E  s  T  . 

to  the  inquisition,  began  to  supplicate  for  mercy,  and  being 
permitted  to  retire,  hastily  made  good  his  retreat,  marvelling 
at  the  strange  turn  in  his  affairs,  which,  from  a  simple  creditor 
of  Michel  de  Coucy,  had  converted  him  into  an  enemy  of  his 
Holiness  the  Pope  and  his  most  Christian  Majesty  the  King 
of  France. 

Michel,  who,  when  he  saw  Pedro  take  the  road  to  Fort 
Chartes,  had  suspected  his  business,  and  hastily  followed  him, 
entered  the  quarters  of  Captain  de  la  Val  during  the  confer- 
ence above  described  ;  and  standing  respectfully  with  his  cap 
in  his  right  hand,  his  left  stuck  in  his  waistband,  and  his  mouth 
wide  open,  listened  in  mute  admiration  of  the  wisdom  and 
nice  sense  of  justice  displayed  by  the  priest  and  officer.  As 
Pedro  retired,  he  slipped  after  him,  and,  tapping  him  on  the 
shoulder  as  he  passed  out  of  the  main  gate,  said  triumphantly, 
"  Bon  jour,  Senor  Garcia,  your  bond  is  too  small — it  will  not 
cover  the  sore  place  !  it  is  not  worth  a  sous !  Now  come  to 
my  house  when  you  get  in  a  good  humour  and  I  will  make  a 
new  bargain  to  pay  you  all  I  owe,  and  give  you  the  word  of 
honour  of  a  French  gentleman,  which,  Father  Felix  says,  is 
better  than  a  Spanish  bond."  Pedro  paused  a  moment  and 
laid  his  hand  on  his  dirk — then  turned  on  his  heel  and  retired, 
without  deigning  to  reply. 

When  he  reached  home  he  was  half  inclined  to  turn  back 
and  embrace  Michel's  offer,  but  still  believing  that  a  bond, 
good  or  bad,  was  better  than  any  parol  engagement,  he  hast- 
ened to  his  friend  the  notary,  on  his  own  side  of  the  river,  and 
having  informed  him  of  all  that  had  passed,  requested  him, 
when  Michel  should  next  cross  into  their  territory,  to  have  him 
arrested  for  his  debt.  To  his  surprise,  the  notary  declined 
interfering  in  the  business,  highly  extolling  the  good  sense  and 
courtesy  displayed  by  the  French  functionaries,  and  declaring 
that  he  knew  no  law  under  which  a  Spaniard  could  sue  a 
Frenchman,  and  that  at  all  events  it  was  extremely  proper 
and  decorous  that  the  officers  of  France  should  abstain  from 


MICHEL    UE    COUCT.  363 

meddling  in  matters  of  such  high  import,  which  ought  to  be 
left  to  ministers  plenipotentiary,  or  to  the  crowned  heads 
themselves. 

"  Then  the  long  and  short  of  the  matter  is,"  said  Pedro, 
as  he  retired,  "  that  I  am  to  be  cheated  out  of  my  money  ;" 
and  he  forthwith  prayed  to  all  the  saints  of  whom  he  had  any 
knowledge,  to  visit  with  special  maledictions,  the  heads  of 
Michel  de  Coucy,  Chevalier  Jean  Philippe  de  la  Val,  Father 
Felix  the  priest,  and  all  others  directly  or  indirectly  concerned 
in  preventing  him  from  recovering  the  amount  nominated  in 
his  bond,  with  interest  thereon,  at  the  rate  of  ten  per  cent, 
per  annum  until  paid. 

People  who  live  on  the  frontier  imbibe  very  accurate 
notions  of  justice,  and  adopt  summary  modes  of  obtaining 
it ;  and  Senor  Pedro  Garcia,  not  being  a  man  to  sit  down 
quietly  after  a  loss,  and  finding  the  door  of  the  law  closed 
against  him,  began  to  cast  about  for  some  other  remedy. 
After  brooding  over  the  matter  for  several  days,  he  at  length 
devised  a  plan  ;  and  getting  into  his  canoe  in  the  night,  pad- 
dled secretly  over  to  the  Illinois  shore,  where  he  remained 
concealed  in  a  thicket,  until  Genevieve,  the  daughter  of 
Michel,  passing  that  way  alone,  he  sallied  out,  and  mak- 
ing her  his  prisoner,  carried  her  off,  leaving  a  placard  in 
these  words,  "  Meshell  Coosy  !  French  rascal !  pay  me  my 
money,  and  you  shall  have  your  daughter  !"  Genevieve  was 
a  beautiful  child  of  twelve  years  of  age,  the  pride  of  the  vil- 
lage, and  the  darling  of  her  parents.  She  had  seen  Pedro 
before,  and  always  with  repulsive  feelings ;  and  when  she 
found  herself  rudely  seized  by  him,  sued  piteously  for  mercy, 
believing  that  he  would  sell  her  to  the  Sioux,  the  English,  or 
the  Long  Knives,  "  of  whom  by  parcels  she  had  something 
heard,"— or  to  some  other  outlandish  people,  to  be  eaten  at 
a  great  war-feast.  Pedro,  without  regarding  her  cries,  bore 
her  to  a  secluded  place,  among  the  broken  hills,  and,  summon- 


364  LEGENDS    OF   THE   WEST. 

ing  a  score  of  his  associates  and  dependents,  prepared  to  make 
a  stout  resistance  in  case  of  pursuit. 

When  Michel  discovered  the  outrage  committed  against 
him,  in  the  person  of  his  child,  on  whom  he  doated,  he  was 
inconsolable  ;  not  only  were  his  parental  feelings  awakened, 
but  his  sense  of  honour  was  touched  to  the  quick.  He  wept, 
raved,  swore  strange  oaths,  and  vowed  bitter  vengeance.  All 
who  were  acquainted  with  him  knew  that,  gentle  as  he  was, 
he  was  brave ;  he  had  been  accustomed  to  face  danger  from 
his  childhood ;  and  when  they  heard  the  deep  imprecations 
which  he  now  poured  forth,  they  were  satisfied  that  Pedro 
would  pay  dearly  for  the  cruel  insult  he  had  perpetrated. 
The  whole  male  population  of  the  village  immediately  volun- 
teered to  accompany  him  to  the  rescue;  and  the  distressed 
father,  after  thanking  them  with  tears  of  gratitude,  urged  them 
to  arm  themselves  without  delay.  It  was  at  this  juncture  that 
the  commandant  and  the  superior  of  the  Jesuits  opportunely 
arrived,  and  having  heard  of  the  circumstances,  Michel  was 
enjoined  to  proceed  no  further  in  his  plan  of  revenge,  the 
commandant  promising  to  take  immediate  measures  for  the 
restoration  of  his  daughter. 

Michel,  who,  believing  that  in  wisdom,  power,  and  good- 
ness the  commandant  was  second  only  to  the  king,  was 
greatly  composed  by  this  assurance,  and  although  his  fellow- 
villagers  continued  to  be  ripe  for  an  immediate  inroad  into  the 
wilderness  where  Pedro  lurked,  he  restrained  their  ardour,  and 
passed  the  night  in  more  tranquillity  than  could  have  been 
expected.  Early  on  the  following  morning  he  received  a 
summons  to  attend  the  commandant  at  Fort  Chartres,  which 
was  distant  two  miles  from  the  village  ;  and  set  out,  with 
Madame  Felicite,  in  one  of  those  commodious  vehicles,  half- 
chaise  and  half-cart,  which  were  fashionable  among  the  Cana- 
dian French  of  those  days,  and  are  still  to  be  seen  in  daily 
use  among  their  descendants,  at  the  famous  village  of  Vide 
Poche,  otherwise  called  Carondelet,  in  Missouri. 


MICHEL   DE   COUCY.  365 

Fort  Chartres  was  at  that  time  the  largest  and  most  ex- 
tensive fortification  owned  by  the  French  in  America,  and 
was  the  seat  of  government  for  all  their  settlements  in  Illinois. 
Its  shape  was  a  regular  quadrangle,  with  bastions  at  the  angles, 
the  sides  of  the  exterior  polygon  being  four  hundred  and 
ninety  feet  in  extent ;  and  the  walls,  which  were  two  feet  and 
two  inches  thick  and  twelve  feet  high,  were  built  of  stone, 
and  plastered  over.  It  was  pierced  all  round,  at  regular  dis- 
tances, with  loopholes  for  musketry,  and  had  two  port-holes 
for  cannon  in  each  face,  and  two  in  the  flanks  of  each  bastion. 
If  any  of  my  fair  readers,  who  are  desirous  to  know  the  exact 
description  of  this  celebrated  fortress,  should  be  anxious  to 
ascertain  what  is  meant  by  "  an  irregular  quadrangle  with 
bastions  at  the  angles,"  I  am  happy  to  inform  them  that  they 
may  obtain  an  exact  idea  of  the  figure  intended  to  be  described, 
by  laying  on  the  table  before  them  an  old-fashioned  square 
pincushion,  of  which  one  side  is  a  little  longer  than  the  other 
three,  with  large  tassels  at  the  corners.  Such  was  precisely 
the  shape  of  Fort  Chartres.  Within  the  walls  were  extensive 
buildings  of  stone,  for  the  accommodation  of  the  garrison  : — 
a  fine  house  for  the  commandant,  quarters  for  the  officers,  and 
barracks  for  the  soldiers,  together  with  a  great  magazine,  a 
chapel,  and  a  snug  cell  for  the  priest,  who  officiated  here,  and 
at  the  village  of  Fort  Chartres  adjacent.  This  was  the  strong 
hold  of  power  and  the  seat  of  festivity  ;  here,  on  all  suitable 
occasions,  were  assembled  the  rank,  beauty,  and  fashion  of 
the  colony ;  and  here  could  be  paraded  as  many  handsome 
French  girls  as  one  could  wish  to  behold. 

Michel  entered  the  main  gate  of  the  fort,  with  a  counte- 
nance of  sorrow,  far  different  from  his  usual  gaiety,  when  he 
came  to  head-quarters  an  invited  guest ;  and  his  feelings  could 
be  with  difficulty  restrained  when  he  beheld  the  dark  visage 
of  Pedro  Garcia.  The  latter  had  been  induced  to  give  his 
attendance  by  a  missive  from  the  commandant,  assuring  him 
of  a  safe-conduct  to  and  from  the  fort,  and  that  all  amicable 


366  LEGENDS   OF   THE    WEST. 

means  would  be  used  to  settle  the  unfortunate  difference  be- 
tween Michel  and  himself.  Being  nnturally  bold  and  impu- 
dent, and  finding,  too,  that  the  delicate  little  Genevieve  was 
withering  like  a  plucked  flower,  and  was  at  best  a  trouble- 
some guest, — he  came  at  the  summons,  and  stood  confronted 
with  the  incensed  Frenchman.  There,  too,  came  all  the  rela- 
tions of  Michel  and  Felicite,  and  divers  other  of  the  villagers, 
burning  with  indignation — there  stood  Captain  de  la  Val, 
Father  Felix,  the  magistrate,  and  the  notary,  as  dignified  and 
complacent  as  if  nothing  had  happened — and  there  sat  several 
aged  chiefs  of  the  Kaskaskia  tribe,  in  grave  and  solemn  ex- 
pectation, wondering  at  the  levity  of  the  whites,  who  could 
hold  a  counsel  on  a  matter  of  such  high  import,  without  making 
presents,  tendering  the  wampum,  and  smoking  the  great  pipe. 
The  commandant  examined  the  bond,  heard  the  evidence 
and  the  decisions  of  his  lieutenant,  and  of  the  civil  officers  on 
both  sides  of  the  river.  He  pronounced  the  conduct  of  all  the 
functionaries,  civil  and  military,  to  have  been  highly  decorous 
and  proper,  and  hoped  that,  in  future,  no  Spaniard  would 
presume  to  sue  a  Frenchman  without  his  leave  first  had  and 
obtained.  He  censured  Pedro  for  the  violent  capture  of  the 
innocent  Genevieve,  and  finally  decreed  that  the  latter  should 
be  safely  returne^  to  her  parents,  that  Michel  should  pay  to 
Pedro  the  principal  borrowed  without  interest,  the  latter  be- 
ing withheld  as  a  fine  for  the  violence  committed  in  the  French 
territory,  and  that  both  the  parties  litigant  should  stand  com- 
mitted until  this  sentence  should  be  fully  complied  with. 
Pedro  remonstrated  against  the  latter  part  of  the  decree,  as 
a  breach  of  his  safe-conduct,  but  the  commandant  decided 
that  he  had  guaranteed  his  safety  in  going  and  coming,  but 
he  had  not  precluded  himself  from  fixing  the  length  of  time 
during  which  he  should  have  the  pleasure  of  Senor  Garcia's 
company.  The  latter,  finding  himself  entrapped,  made  a 
merit  of  necessity,  and  despatched  an  order  for  the  little 
Genevieve,  who  was  soon  given  to  her  parents'  arms. 


MICHEL   UE   Co  UCY.  367 

We  cannot  describe  their  joy,  nor  the  spontaneous  burst 
of  sympathy  which  ran  through  the  assembly,  when  the  lost 
child  was  restored.  The  Indians,  who  had  sat  motionless  as 
statues  throughout  the  whole  scene,  preserving  an  inflexibility 
of  muscle  which  nothing  could  change,  rose  when  they  beheld 
this  affecting  meeting,  and  said  to  each  other,  "  Very  good." 
One  of  them  then  stepped  forward,  and  addressing  the  com- 
mandant, said,  "  Father,  we  came  to  see  you  do  justice  ;  we 
opened  our  ears,  and  our  hearts  are  satisfied.  The  cunning 
black  serpent  crawled  into  the  nest  of  the  turtle,  and  stole 
away  the  young  dove  ;  but  our  father  is  an  eagle,  very  strong 
and  brave  ;  he  is  wiser  than  the  serpent ;  he  has  brought 
back  the  young  dove,  and  the  old  turtles  sing  with  joy.  Fa- 
ther, we  are  satisfied,  it  is  all  very  good.  We  bid  you  fare- 
well." Then  advancing  to  the  commandant,  each  of  the  chiefs 
gave  his  right  hand,  and  stalked  out  of  the  audience  chamber, 
without  deigning  to  notice  any  other  person. 

As  for  Michel,  he  had  now  no  difficulty  in  paying  his  debt ; 
for  those  who  owed  him,  when  they  found  that  his  misfor- 
tune had  grown  out  of  their  own  delinquency,  immediately 
raised  among  them  the  sum  required ;  and  Michel  retired 
well  satisfied,  but  convinced  of  three  truths,  which  he  contin- 
ued to  maintain  through  life  :  first,  that  French  laws  surpass 
all  others  in  wisdom  and  justice  ;  second,  that  Spaniards 
with  black  whiskers  are  not  to  be  trusted ;  and  third,  that 
it  is  safer  to  bury  money  under  the  floor  than  to  embark  it 
in  traffic ;  and  he  thereupon  made  a  vow  to  his  patron  saint, 
that  whenever  the  leathern  bag  should  be  replenished,  it 
should  be  restored  to  a  place  of  deposit,  there  to  remain  as  a 
talisman  against  the  like  misfortune  in  future. 

NOTE.— This  tale  was  suggested  by  an  incident  which  really  occurred 
in  the  early  history  of  the  French  settlements  in  Illinois.  A  lady  was  still 
living  there,  a  few  years  ago,  who  had  been  captured  when  a  child  by  a 
creditor  of  her  father,  and  carried  to  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  where  she 
was  detained  until  the  debt  was  arranged.  Although  the  country  on  both 


368  LEGENDS    OF   THE    WEST. 

sides  of  the  river  was  under  the  same  jurisdiction,  some  amusing  negotia- 
tions took  place,  in  consequence  of  the  ignorance  of  the  parties  of  that  fact 
and  of  their  respective  rights.  In  our  picture,  the  French  officers  are  sup- 
posed to  have  humoured  the  mistake  for  the  joke  of  the  thing,  as  well  as  for 
the  sake  of  rescuing  the  child  from  durance.  There  were  no  newspapers  in 
those  days,  and  the  schoolmaster  was  not  abroad,  wherefore  honest  Michel 
and  his  friends  may  be  pardoned  for  supposing  that  the  King  of  Spain 
ruled  the  western  side  of  the  Mississippi. 


THE   EMIGRANTS. 


IT1HE  events  of  the  present  little  tale  which  I  am  about  to 
-*-  relate,  occurred  some  ten  or  fifteen  years  ago,  when  the 
western  states  were  yet  in  their  minority,  and  pretended  not 
to  vie  in  wealth  or  population  with  their  blooming  and  ac- 
complished sisters  in  the  east.  It  is  true,  that  our  people  had 
some  vague  notions  of  their  own  importance,  and  would  some- 
times talk  of  their  birth-rights  and  their  future  greatness  in  a 
strain  that  would  make  a  stranger  stare.  Accustomed  to  the 
contemplation  of  great  mountains,  long  rivers,  and  boundless 
plains,  the  majestic  features  of  their  country  swelled  their 
ideas,  and  gave  a  ting  of  romance  to  their  conceptions.  The 
immense  cotton-woods  and  sycamores  that  overhung  their 
rivers,  the  huge  alligator  that  bellowed  in  the  stream,  and  the 
great  mammoth  bones  imbedded  in  their  swamps  became 
familiar  standards  of  comparison  ;  while  their  long  journeys 
over  boundless  plains  teeming  with  the  products  of  nature, 
gave  them  exalted  notions  of  the  magnificence  of  their 
country.  One  would  have  thought  they  were  speaking  in 
parables,  who  heard  them  describing  the  old  thirteen  states  as 
a  mere  appendage  of  the  future  republic — a  speck  on  the  map 
of  the  United  States — a  sort  of  out-lot  with  a  cotton  field  at 
16* 


370  LEGENDS    OF   THE    WEST. 

one  end  and  a  manufactory  of  wooden  clocks  at  the  other ; 
yet  they  were  in  sober  earnest. 

The  season  of  the  year  was  that  which  poets  delight 
to  describe:  when  the  birds  are  singing  their  sweetest  notes, 
and  the  trees  assuming  the  beautiful  hues  of  spring.  The. 
snows  were  melting  on  the  mountains,  and  the  channels  of 
those  little  streams  which,  at  a  later  season,  murmured 
quietly  along  their  valleys,  were  now  filled  to  their  brinks 
with  foaming  torrents.  The  Ohio  was  swollen  to  a  great 
flood,  filling  its  deep  channel  to  the  brim ;  and  its  tide  was 
crowded  with  the  vessels  and  passengers  who  throng  the  great 
avenues  of  commerce  at  this  propitious  season.  Among  the 
boats  were  many  of  that  description  in  which  families 
emigrating  to  the  West  usually  descended  the  Ohio,  before  the 
introduction  of  steamboats  into  general  use.  These  were 
large  flat-boats,  unfit  to  stem  the  current,  and  so  constructed 
as  to  float  with  the  stream.  Though  slow  and  unwieldy, 
they  were  large,  safe,  and  roomy,  affording  space  enough  for 
families,  merchandise,  and  even  cattle. 

One  fine  morning,  a  boat  of  the  kind  described  was  seen 
to  approach  the  landing-place  at  a  small  town  on  the  Ohio. 
The  passengers  sprung  joyously  ashore,  as  if  delighted  to 
escape  from  their  confinement.  It  was  an  English  family, 
just  arrived  from  the  old  country.  Mr.  Edgarton,  the  head 
of  this  little  band  of  adventurers,  was  a  man  of  about  thirty- 
five,  sprightly,  and  good-looking,  but  rather  oddly  accoutred  ; 
for  his  dress  exhibited  a  whimsical  mixture  of  fashion  and 
rudeness.  He  wore  cambric  ruffles,  a  diamond  breast-pin,  a 
dandy  waistcoat,  and  a  store  of  jewelry  appended  to  a  gold 
watch-chain ;  but  his  nether  limbs  were  clad  in  long  spatter- 
dashes, reaching  to  the  knee,  a  farmer's  coarse  frock  covered 
his  shoulders,  and  a  great  fur  cap  was  on  his  head.  He  was 
equipped,  moreover,  with  a  powder-horn,  shot-pouch,  and  bird- 
bag,  and  held  in  his  hand  an  elegant  double-barrelled  gun.  We 
mention  these  things  to  show  how  difficult  it  is  for  men 


THE   EMIGRANTS.  371 

to  throw  off  their  accustomed  habits,  and  to  assume  those 
which  are  suitable  to  a  change  of  country  or  condition.  Mr. 
Edgarton,  when  at  home,  was  a  modest,  and  a  well-dressed 
man ;  but  in  atteinping  to  assume  the  guise  of  a  farmer  and 
the  equipment  of  a  hunter,  had  jumbled  together  a  grotesque 
assortment  of  costume,  which  gave  him  the  appearance  of  a 
stage-player  dressed  for  exhibition,  more  than  that  of  a  plain 
man  of  business,  which  was  his  real  character.  His  wife  was 
a  genteel,  handsome  woman  ;  a  neat  article,  and  neatly  put 
up;  for  her  dress  was  as  graceful  as  herself;  and  the 
children,  some  four  or  five  in  number,  looked  as  fresh  and 
rosy  as  the  morning.  Then  there  was  a  maid,  a  grayhound, 
a  pug-dog,  and  a  parrot,  all  in  good  order  and  well  condi- 
tioned. 

There  was  another  member  of  the  family,  whom  I  have 
reserved,  as  in  duty  bound,  for  a  separate  mention.  This 
was  Mr.  Edgarton's  sister,  a  fair  lady  whose  age,  if  it  be  not 
impolite  to  specify  too  particularly  on  so  delicate  a  point, 
was  somewhere  on  the  right  side  of  twenty.  A  maiden  sis- 
ter is  a  very  creditable  and  useful  appendage  in  any  gentle- 
man's family.  If  she  happens  to  be  young,  pretty,  senti- 
mental, and  affected,  nothing  can  be  more  amusing  ;  while  the 
opposite  of  these  qualities  most  generally  elevate  her  into  a 
rational  companion.  Julia  Edgarton  was  handsome  enough 
to  pass  for  a  beauty  in  any  country  ;  she  was  sentimental 
enough  to  admire  the  beauties  of  nature,  yet  not  so  senti- 
mental as  to  travel  with  a  pencil  in  her  hand  or  a  book  in 
her  reticule;  she  had  just  affectation  enough  to  be  very 
agreeable,  for  a  handsome  woman  should  always  have  a 
slight  tinge  of  coquetry  ;  she  had  taste  enough  to  enjoy  the 
writings  of  Scott,  but  not  so  much  as  to  enable  her  to  dream 
over  the  rhapsodies  of  Byron.  In  short,  she  was  a  sensible, 
clever  girl,  and  that  is  saying  as  much  as  it  becomes  any 
grave  historian  to  say  of  a  young  lady— especially  if  there  is 
any  chance  that  his  work  will  ever  be  reviewed  in  England. 


372  LEGENDS    OF    THE    WEST. 

/  The  goods  and  chattels  of  this  party  were  numerous,  but 
not  bulky,  nor  particularly  well  assorted.  The  k nick-nacks 
considerably  outnumbered  the  useful  articles — indeed,  there 
was  no  end  to  those  nondescript  contrivances  which  brother 
Jonathan  very  aptly  denominates  notions.  Of  household  fur- 
niture there  was  but  little ;  of  farming  utensils  there  was 
rather  more  than  a  little ;  the  latter  consisting  chiefly  of  new 
inventions,  remarkably  neat  and  useless — horse-rakes,  patent 
ploughs,  straw-cutters,  and  man-traps.  The  heaviest  article 
of  transportation  was  the  wardrobe,  which  was  sufficient  to 
have  furnished  a  respectable  slop-shop.  The  stores  of  linen 
and  flannel,  the  dozens  upon  dozens  of  night-caps  and  socks, 
the  coats,  great-coats,  frock-coats,  coatees,  and  surtouts,  pro- 
vided to  suit  every  occasion  and  contingency,  were  absolutely 
miraculous. 

Although  Mr.  Edgarton  was  going  to  farm  in  a  new  coun- 
try, he  had  not  been  a  farmer  at  home.  He  was  a  mercan- 
tile clerk  in  London,  who  by  his  assiduity  and  good  manage- 
ment had  'been  able  not  only  to  support  his  family  respecta- 
bly, but  to  lay  by  each  year  a  small  portion  of  his  earnings. 
He  had  never  been  out  of  London  until  latterly,  when,  begin- 
ning to  feel  independent,  he  was  induced  on  several  succes- 
sive holydays  to  make  excursions  into  the  country,  accom- 
panied by  his  wife ;  whereby  his  mind  was  improved,  and  his 
thirst  for  travelling  increased  to  such  an  extent,  that  he  ven- 
tured at  last  to  a  watering-place  on  the  coast,  where  he  spent 
a  week.  He  became  enamoured  of  the  country,  and  began 
to  talk  of  rustic  pursuits  and  sturdy  independence,  fresh  air, 
rosy  cheeks,  and  healthy  peasants.  His  wife  threw  aside  all 
her  songs,  except  such  as  treated  of  cottages  and  love,  inno- 
cence and  rural  felicity.  He  determined  to  study  agriculture, 
and  immediately  purchased  "Speed  the  Plough,"  "The 
Farmer's  Boy,"  "  The  Cotter's  Saturday  Night,"  and  "  The 
Shepherd  of  Salisbury  Plain,"  all  of  which  he  read  with  such 
delight  and  advantage,  that  he  soon  determined  to  exchange 


THE   EMIGRANTS.  373 

the  smoke  of  London  for  the  pure  air  of  the  country.  While 
4n  this  s&te  of  mind  he  heard  golden  accounts  of  the  back 
settlements  in  America,  and  was  easily  persuaded  to  emi- 
grate to  the  land  of  promise.  Of  his  voyage  across  the  At- 
lantic, and  his  journey  from  the  sea-board,  1  shall  not  speak, 
as  they  were  like  most  other  voyages  and  travels,  very  dull 
and  tiresome.  They  had  been  floating  for  many  days  down 
the  smooth  current  of  the  Ohio,  when  they  found  it  conveni- 
ent to  halt  for  a  few  hours  at  the  rude  hamlet  to  which  we  al- 
luded above. 

After  sauntering  through  the  village,  the  members  of  our 
voyaging  party  were  about  to  re-embark,  when  a  person  ap- 
proached them,  and  without  the  ceremony  of  an  introduction, 
inquired  civilly  of  Mr.  Edgarton,  if  he  would  accommodate 
him  with  a  passage  in  his  boat.  Surprised  at  the  abruptness 
of  the  salutation,  the  eyes  of  the  whole  party  were  turned 
towards  the  stranger.  He  was  a  young  man  apparently  not 
more  than  twenty-one  years  of  age.  His  athletic  form  was 
clothed  in  the  common  dress  of  the  Western  hunter.  A  loose 
hunting-shirt  of  blue  cotton  trimmed  with  yellow  fringe,  and 
confined  about  the  waist  with  a  broad  leathern  belt,  set  off 
his  person  to  the  best  advantage.  From  one  shoulder  was 
suspended  a  powder-horn,  from  the  other  a  huge  leathern 
pouch,  in  the  belt  of  which  rested  a  long  knife.  There  was 
nothing  remarkable  in  his  appearance,  except  that  his  form 
towered  above  the  ordinary  height,  and  that  a  rifle  which  he 
held  carelessly  in  his  hand  was  double  the  size  of  an  ordinary 
weapon,  and  seemed  fit  only  for  the  grasp  of  a  giant.  His 
cheek  had  the  flush  of  youth,  his  eye  was  mild,  and  his  coun- 
tenance open  and  ingenuous,  yet  the  rifle  and  the  hunting- 
knife  gave  him  so  much  the  appearance  of  an  assassin  in  the 
inexperienced  eyes  of  the  Englishman,  that  the  latter  was  not 
a  little  startled  at  being  addressed  by  such  an  apparition 
with: 


374  LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 

"  Pray,  sir,  can  I  get  the  favour  of  a  passage  down  the 
river  in  your  boat  ?" 

The  first  sensation  of  a  travelling  Englishman  which  is 
awakened  on  such  an  occasion  is  that  of  pride  ;  and  Mr.  Ed- 
garton,  being  quite  .indignant  at  being  asked  to  take  a  passen- 
ger, replied  coldly,  "  Mine  is  not  a  passage  boat !" 

"  So  I  supposed  from  her  looks  ;  she  seems  to  be  rather  a 
crazy  kind  of  concern,  but  I  am  not  particular  about  that ;  I 
can  put  up  with  any  thing." 

"We  have  no  wish  to  increase  our  company,"  said  the 
Englishman. 

The  young  man  looked  surprised,  and  seemed  to  think 
himself  rudely  treated ;  his  eye  brightened,  and  the  colour 
deepened  upon  his  cheek,  but  without  making  any  reply  he 
turned  on  his  heel  and  walked  away. 

The  boat  was  again  shoved  out  into  the  stream,  and  floated 
heavily  on  its  course.  Nothing  worthy  of  note  occurred  until 
the  following  evening  about  sunset,  when,  as  they  drifted  near 
the  shore,  our  emigrants  beheld,  on  passing  a  little  headland, 
a  deer  standing  on  the  margin  of  the  stream  from  which  he 
was  drinking.  They  came  upon  him  so  suddenly,  as  the  boat 
turned  the  wooded  point  behind  which  he  had  been  concealed 
from  them,  that  on  first  discovering  him  they  were  near 
enough  to  distinguish  all  the  lineaments  of  his  fine  form,  and 
even  to  see  the  flashing  of  his  dark  eye  as  he  gazed  for  an 
instant  at  the  boat.  It  was  but  an  instant,  when  he  turned  to 
fly  ;  but  at  the  same  moment  the  report  of  a  rifle  was  heard, 
and  the  graceful  animal,  after  a  few  leaps,  fell  upon  the  sand. 
The  hunter,  who  had  been  concealed  in  a  tuft  of  willows  that 
overhung  the  river,  now  sprung  from  his  covert  and  ap- 
proached his  victim.  As  he  advanced,  the  deer  discovered  his 
enemy,  and,  starting  nimbly  to  his  feet,  prepared  to  avenge 
himself.  He  swelled  with  rage,  madness  flashed  from  his  eye- 
balls, and  all  his  motions  showed  that  a  momentary  ferocity 
had  banished  the  timiditv  of  his  nature  and  overcome  the 


THE    EMIGRANTS.  375 

sense  of  pain  and  of  weakness.  The  boatmen,  who  knew  with 
what  vindictive  and  desperate  courage  a  wounded  deer  will 
turn  upon  his  assailant,  gazed  in  silent  anxiety  as  they  beheld 
the  hunter  standing  alone  upon  the  sandy  beach,  exposed  to 
the  assault  of  the  enraged  animal.  As  the  furious  beast 
rushed  upon  him  with  his  head  down  and  his  sharp  antlers 
thrown  forward,  the  hunter  stepped  nimbly  aside,  and  for 
that  time  avoided  the  deadly  thrust,  while  the  spectators 
loudly  shouted  their  applause.  But  the  active  animal  was 
not  to  be  thus  foiled,  and  suddenly  turning  he  rushed  again 
upon  his  enemy,  and  in  an  instant  beat  him  to  the  ground 
with  his  fore  feet ;  then  rising  quickly  upon  his  hinder  legs 
he  continued  to  jump  upon  the  prostrate  hunter,  striking  so 
rapidly  and  violently  with  his  fore  hoofs,  that  the  blows  were 
distinctly  heard  as  they  fell  in  quick  succession  on  the  ground. 
But  the  hunter  lost  none  of  his  presence  of  mind  under  these 
appalling  circumstances,  and  by  dint  of  rolling  and  dodging 
contrived  to  avoid  his  adversary's  blows,  until,  watching  a 
favourable  moment,  he  suddenly  sprang  up  and  threw  his 
left  arm  round  the  animal's  neck,  while  with  the  right  he 
plunged  his  long  hunting-knife  deep  in  his  side. 

Curiosity,  as  well  as  concern  for  the  fate  of  the  hunter,  now 
induced  some  of  the  boatmen  to  jump  into  the  small  skiff 
which  usually  accompanies  such  boats  and  to  row  to  the  shore. 
They  soon  returned,  bringing  the  hunter  and  his  spoil,  and  our 
travellers  were  not  a  little  surprised  to  recognise  in  the  former 
the  same  young  man  who  on  the  day  before  had  solicited  a 
passage  in  their  boat.  The  meeting  was  equally  unexpected 
to  him,  and  he  would  have  returned  immediately  to  the  shore, 
had  not  Mr.  Edgarton  pressed  him  to  remain  with  a  cordiality 
which  sufficiently  atoned  for  his  former  rudeness. 

The  voung  stranger,  whom  we  shall  call  Logan,  was  a 
native  of  Kentucky,  who  had  been  reared  in  the  practice  of 
all  the  athletic  exercises  and  sports  of  his  country,  while  his 
intellect  had  been  cultivated  by  the  best  instruction  which 


376  LEGENDS   OF    THE    WEST. 

that  region  afforded.  His  fine  form  and  vigorous  understand- 
ing corresponded  well  with  each  other,  and  he  possessed  in  a 
high  degree  that  hilarity  of  dispositioa  and  ease  of  manner 
which  so  often  distinguish  his  countrymen.  Having  studied 
law,  he  determined  to  emigrate  to  a  newer  State  than  his  own, 
and  had  reached  the  Ohio  river  when  the  accidental  loss  of 
his  horse,  and  the  want  of  means  to  purchase  another,  induced 
him  to  proceed  on  foot.  He  accordingly  sold  his' saddle,  bridle, 
and  other  equipments,  and  having  purchased  a  rifle  and  hunt- 
ing-shirt, was  about  to  renew  his  journey,  when  the  boat  of 
Mr.  Edgarton  stopped  at  the  village  in  which  he  happened  to 
be.  Disappointed  in  his  attempt  to  procure  a  passage,  he 
manfully  threw  the  small  valise  containing  his  wardrobe  over 
his  shoulder,  and  struck  into  the  woods  about  the  same  time 
at  which  the  Englishman's  boat  departed  ;  but  as  the  latter 
floated  with  the  current  round  a  circuitous  bend  of  the  river, 
while  Mr.  Logan  pursued  a  shorter  path  which  led  across  the 
country,  they  met  again  as  we  have  stated. 

Where  all  parties  are  disposed  to  be  pleased  with  each 
other,  cordiality  is  quickly  established.  The  family  of  Ed- 
garton, accustomed  to  the  excitement  of  a  city  life,  and  to  the 
enjoyment  of  the  various  expedients  by  which  the  idle  hours 
of  persons  in  easy  circumstances  are  amused  in  the  British 
metropolis,  had  begun  to  tire  of  the  silence  and  monotony  of 
the  forest  and  the  confinement  of  a  boat.  To  them,  therefore, 
the  accession  of  an  agreeable  member  to  their  party  was  not  an 
unimportant  event ;  and  no  sooner  did  Mr.  Edgarton  ascertain 
that  the  person  whom  he  had  before  treated  with  so  much  indif- 
ference was  a  gentleman  of  easy  manners  and  cultivated  mind, 
than  he  felt  his  curiosity  awakened  and  feelings  of  kindness 
springing  up  in  his  bosom  towards  the  stranger.  As  for  Mr. 
Logan,  he  was  infinitely  amused  at  the  odd  ways  of  the  emi- 
grants, their  strange  notions  about  matters  and  things  in  Amer- 
ica, and  especially  with  their  cultivation  and  intelligence  in  other 
respects  as  contrasted  with  their  total  ignorance  of  this  coun- 


THE   EMIGRANTS.  377 

try,  and  the  childlike  simplicity  with  which  they  wondered  at 
every  thing  that  attracted  their  attention.  Besides,  Miss  Julia 
Edgarton,  as  we  said  before,  was  a  very  pretty  young  lady, 
and,  as  we  did  not  say  before,  sang  like  a  nightingale  and 
talked  like  a  book  ;  and  having  been  for  some  time  deprived 
of  all  society  but  that  of  the  married  pair,  the  children,  pug- 
dog,  and  parrot  aforesaid,  was  of  course  delighted,  however 
unwilling  she  might  have  been  to  confess  it,  to  obtain  a  more 
suitable  companion,  and  altogether  disposed  to  exert  her 
powers  of  pleasing  in  his  behalf. 

Thus  organized,  the  party  began  to  realize  the  pleasures 
of  travelling — those  pleasures  which  ever  await  such  as  have 
sufficient  taste  and  good  temper  to  enjoy  them.  The  Edgar- 
tons  displayed  their  books,  their  engravings,  their  knick-nacks, 
and  exotic  curiosities,  and  endeavoured  to  edify  the  young 
American  with  descriptions  of  the  magnificence  and  the  won- 
ders of  London,  while  the  latter  was  equally  communicative 
in  relation  to  his  own  country,  and  especially  that  portion  of 
it  through  which  they  were  passing.  In  the  mild  serene  even- 
ings, as  the  sun  sunk  behind  the  western  hills,  and  the  long 
shadows  of  the  forest  extended  quite  across  the  river,  they 
would  sit  on  the  deck  gazing  at  the  rich  hues  of  our  noble 
forest  trees,  and  listening  to  the  song  of  the  mocking-bird  or 
the  distant  notes  of  the  boatman's  bugle.  Sometimes  Edgar- 
ton  would  take  his  flute  or  the  ladies  would  sing.  Logan  de- 
rived pleasure  from  these  amusements,  but  they  were  not 
sufficient  for  his  inquisitive  mind  and  active  habits.  He  often 
took  his  rifle  and  wandered  along  the  shore,  keeping  pace 
with  the  boat,  and  returning  loaded  with  game,  and  sometimes 
prevailed  on  the  ladies  to  accompany  him  in  the  skiff,  and  to 
visit  the  cabins  of  the  settlers. 

The  difference  of  character  between  the  two  gentlemen  who 
were  thus  thrown  together  was  striking  and  amusing.  Both 
were  amiable  and  honest  men.  Edgarton,  enervated  by  a 
city  life  and  sedentary  habits,  felt  severely  all  the  little  pri- 


378  LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 

vations  and  inconveniences  of  the  journey  ;  accustomed  to  a 
certain  round  of  duties  and  enjoyments,  he  was  keenly  sensi- 
tive of  the  slightest  encroachment  upon  his  personal  comfort, 
and  selfish  in  his  exactions  of  attention  from  all  around  him  ; 
and,  proud  of  his  native  country,  was  offended  if  others  did 
not  flatter  his  national  vanity.  His  habits  were  formed  in  a 
land  abounding  with  artificial  luxuries,  where  all  the  arts  which 
promote  comfort  or  facilitate  business  .exist  in  high  perfection, 
and  where  money  can  purchase  every  necessary  of  life,  and 
every  personal  attention  which  the  most  fastidious  require. 
He  was  now  in  a  country  where  many  of  these  comforts  and 
luxuries  could  not  be  purchased,  because  they  did  not  exist, 
or  existed  only  in  the  possession  of  those  who  would  not 
barter  them  for  money,  and  where  the  stranger  could  only 
procure  them  from  the  hospitality  of  the  people.  But  too 
proud  to  accept  that  for  which  money  would  not  be  received, 
too  reserved  to  cultivate  the  acquaintance  of  strangers,  he 
passed  through  the  country  without  acquiring  any  knowledge 
of  the  character  of  its  inhabitants  or  rubbing  off  any  of  his 
own  prejudices,  and  suffered  many  privations  which  a  little 
affability  on  his  own  part  would  have  taught  him  how  to 
relieve. 

Logan  had  all  the  freshness  and  originality  of  character  so 
common  to  the  youth  of  our  country.  Accustomed  to  regard 
habits  and  modes  of  life  in  reference  to  their  usefulness,  and 
to  pay  but  little  deference  to  mere  form,  he  was  prepared  to 
adapt  himself  to  circumstances,  and  to  take  the  world  as  he 
found  it.  Mr.  Edgarton,  though  he  could  not  resist  the  at- 
traction produced  by  the  intelligence,  amiability,  and  interest- 
ing frankness  of  the  manners  of  the  young  American,  who 
seemed  as  much  at  home  as  if  in  the  bosom  of  his  own 
family,  could  not.  on  the  other  hand,  divest  himself  of  that 
suspicious  and  repulsive  feeling  which  his  countrymen  are 
apt  to  entertain  towards  strangers.  Logan,  unaccustomed  to 
the  refined  deceptions  which  are  practised  in  crowded  cities, 


THE   EMIGRANTS.  379 

considered  every  man  a  gentleman  whose  exterior  and  con- 
duct  entitled  him  to  that  appellation,  and  felt  a  disposition  to 
cultivate  the  acquaintance  of  any  such  whom  he  might  meet; 
while  Edgarton,  who  buttoned  his  pocket-flaps  and  kept  a 
bright  look-out  at  his  trunks  whenever  a  stranger  approached, 
was  continually  wondering  that  so  genteel  a  young  man 
should  travel  without  letters  9f  introduction,  and  that  he  him- 
self should  be  so  imprudent  as  to  admit  into  his  family-cir- 
cle a  person  of  whom  he  had  no  personal  knowledge.  These 
opposite  feelings  occasioned  some  amusing  interludes  in  the 
first  scenes  of  the  intercourse  between  the  parties,  who 
approximated  each  other  much  after  the  fashion  of  vessels 
floating  on  an  agitated  sea,  which  meet  with  a  jar  and  in- 
stantly recoil,  but  which  still  float  along  together,  and  come 
into  harmonious  contact  at  last  when  the  waves  subside.  So 
the  gentlemen  in  question,  after  some  sharp  repartees,  and 
after  their  respective  nationalities  had  bumped  and  jostled 
awhile,  settled  down  into  amicable  travelling  companions, 
and  maintained  the  most  friendly  relations  until  their  arrival 
at  the  place  of  debarkation,  where  the  Edgartons,  finding  that 
Mr.  Logan's  route  lay  in  the  direction  of  their  own,  insisted 
on  his- continuing  to  travel  with  their  party. 

The  place  at  which  the  party  landed  was  a  small  village 
on  the  bank  of  the  river,  distant  about  fifty  miles  from  a  set- 
tlement in  the  interior  to  which  they  were  destined. 

"Here  we  are  on  dry  land  once  more,"  said  the  English- 
man as  he  jumped  ashore  ;  "  come,  Mr.  Logan,  let  us  go  to 
the  stage-house  and  take  our  seats."  Logan  smiled,  and  fol- 
lowed his  companion. 

"My  good  friend,"  said  Edgarton,  to  a  tall,  sallow  man  in 
a  hunting-shirt,  who  sat  on  a  log  by  the  river  with  a  rifle  in 
his  lap,  "  can  you  direct  us  to  the  stage-house  ?" 

"  Well,  I  can't  say  that  I  can." 

"  Perhaps  you  do  not  understand  what  we  want,"  said 
Edgarton ;  "  we  wish  to  take  seats  in  a  mail-coach  for ." 


380  LEGENDS   OF  THE   WEST. 

"  Well,  stranger,  it's  my  sentimental  belief  that  there 
isn't  a  coach,  male  or  female,  in  the  county." 

"  This  fellow  is  ignorant  of  our  meaning,"  said  Edgarton 
to  Logan. 

"  What's  that  you  say,  stranger  1  I  spose  maybe  you 
think  I  never  seed  a  coach  1  Well,  it's  a  free  country,  and 
every  man  has  a  right  to  think  what  he  pleases  ;  but  I  reckon 
I've  saw  as  many  of  them  are  fixens  as  any  other  man.  I  was 
raised  in  Tennessee.  I  Saw  General  Jackson  once  riding  in  the 
elegantest  carriage  that  ever  mortal  man  sot  his  eyes  on — 
with  glass  winders  to  it  like  a  house,  and  sort  0'  silk  curlings. 
The  harness  was  mounted  with  silver ;  it  was  drawd  by  four 
blooded  nags,  and  druv  by  a  mighty  likely  nigger  boy." 

The  travellers  passed  on,  and  soon  learned  that  there  was 
indeed  no  stage  in  the  country.  Teams  and  carriages  of 
any  kind  were  difficult  to  be  procured  ;  and  it  was  with  some 
difficulty  that  two  stout  wagons  were  at  last  hired  to  carry 
Mr.  Edgarton's  moveables,  and  a  dearborn  obtained  to  con- 
vey his  family,  it  being  agreed  that  one  of  the  gentlemen 
should  drive  th«  latter  vehicle  while  the  other  walked,  alter- 
nately. Arrangements  were  accordingly  made  to  set  out  the 
next  morning. 

The  settlement  in  which  Mr.  Fdgarton  had  judiciously 
determined  to  pitch  his  tent,  and  enjoy  the  healthful  innocence 
and  rural  felicity  of  the  farmer's  life,  was  new  ;  and  the  coun- 
try to  be  traversed  to  reach  it  entirely  unsettled.  There 
were  two  or  three  houses  scattered  through  the  wilderness  on 
the  road,  one  of  which  the  party  might  have  reached  by  set- 
ting out  early  in  the  morning,  and  they  had  determined  to  do 
so.  But  there  was  so  much  fixing  and  preparing  to  be  done, 
so  much  stowing  of  baggage  and  packing  of  trunks,  such 
momentous  preparations  to  guard  against  cold  and  heat,  hun- 
ger and  thirst,  fatigue,  accident,  robbery,  disease,  and  death, 
that  it  was  near  noon  before  the  cavalcade  was  prepared  to 
move.  Even  then  they  were  delayed  some  minutes  longer 


THE    EMIGRANTS.  381 

to  give  Mr.  Edgarton  time  to  oil  the  screws  and  renew  the 
charges  of  his  double-barrel  gun  and  pocket-pistols.  In  vain 
he  was  told  there  were  no  highwaymen  in  America.  His 
way  lay  chiefly  through  uninhabited  forests ;  and  he  consid- 
ered it  a  fact  in  natural  history,  as  indisputable  as  any  other 
elementary  principle,  that  every  such  forest  has  its  robbers. 
After  all,  he  entirely  neglected  to  put  flints  in  his  bran  new 
locks  instead  of  the  wooden  substitutes  which  the  maker  had 
placed  there  to  protect  his  work  from  injury;  and  thus 
"  doubly  armed,"  he  announced  his  readiness  to  start  with  an 
air  of  truly  comic  heroism. 

When  they  began  their  journey,  new  terrors  arose.  The 
road  was  sufficiently  plain  and  firm  for  all  rational  purposes ; 
that  is  to  say,  it  would  do  very  well  for  those  who  only 
wanted  to  get  along,  and  were  content  to  make  the  best  of  it. 
It  was  a  mere  path  beaten  by  a  succession  of  travellers.  No 
avenue  had  been  cut  for  it  through  the  .woods ;  but  the  first 
pioneers  had  wound  their  way  among  the  trees,  avoiding 
obstacles  by  going  round  them,  as  the  snake  winds  through 
the  grass,  and  those  who  followed  had  trodden  in  their 
footsteps,  until  they  had  beaten  a  smooth  road  sufficiently 
wide  to  admit  the  passage  of  a  single  wagon.  On  either  side 
was  the  thick  forest,  sometimes  grown  up  with  underbrush  to 
the  margin  of  the  trace,  and  sometimes  so  open  as  to  allow 
the  eye  to  roam  off  to  a  considerable  distance.  Above  was  a 
dense  canopy  of  interwoven  branches.  The  wild  and  lonesome 
appearance,  the  deep  shade,  the  interminable  gloom  of  the 
woods,  were  frightful  to  our  travellers.  The  difference 
between  a  wild  forest  in  the  simple  majesty  of  nature,  and 
the  woodlands  of  cultivated  countries,  is  very  great.  In  the 
latter  the  underbrush  has  been  removed  by  art  or  destroyed 
by  domestic  animals :  the  trees  as  they  arrive  at  their  growth 
are  felled  for  use,  and  the  remainder,  less  crowded,  assume 
the  spreading  and  rounded  form  of  cultivated  trees.  The 
sunbeams  reach  the  soil  through  the  scattered  foliage,  the 


382  LEGKNDS    OF   THE    WEST. 

ground  is  trodden  by  grazing  animals,  and  a  hard  sod  is 
formed.  However  secluded  such  a  spot  may  be,  it  bears  the 
marks  of  civilization  :  the  lowing  of  cattle  is  heard,  and  many 
species  of  songsters  that  hover  round  the  habitations  of  men, 
and  are  never  seen  in  the  wilderness,  here  warble  their  notes. 
In  the  western  forests  of  America  all  is  grand  and  savage. 
The  truth  flashes  instantly  upon  the  mind  of  the  observer, 
with  the  force  of  conviction,  that  Nature  has  been  carry  ing  on 
her  operations  here  for  ages  undisturbed.  The  leaf  has  fallen 
from  year  to  year;  succeeding  generations  of  trees  have 
mouldered,  spreading  over  the  surface  layer  upon  layer  of 
decayed  fibre,  until  the  soil  has  acquired  an  astonishing  depth 
and  an  unrivalled  fertility.  From  this  rich  bed  the  trees  are 
seen  rearing  their  shafts  to  an  astonishing  height.  The 
tendency  of  plants  towards  the  light  is  well  understood  ; 
of  course,  when  trees  are  crowded  closely  together,  instead 
of  spreading,  they  shoot  upwards,  each  endeavouring,  as  it 
were,  to  overtop  his  neighbours,  and  expending  the  whole 
force  of  the  vegetative  powers  in  rearing  a  great  trunk  to  the 
greatest  possible  height,  and  then  throwing  out  a  top  like  an 
umbrella  to  the  rays  of  the  sun.  The  functions  of  vitality 
are  carried  on  with  vigour  at  the  extremities,  while  the  long 
stem  is  bare  of  leaves  or  branches ;  and  when  the  under- 
growth is  removed  nothing  can  exceed  the  gloomy  grandeur 
of  the  elevated  arches  of  foliage,  supported  by  pillars  of  ma- 
jestic size  and  venerable  appearance.  The  great  thickness 
and  age  of  many  of  the  trees  is  another  striking  peculiarity. 
They  grow  from  age  to  age,  attaining  a  gigantic  size,  and  then 
fall,  with  a  tremendous  force,  breaking  down  all  that  stands 
in  their  downward  way,  and  heaping  a  great  pile  of  timber  on 
the  ground,  where  it  remains  untouched  until  it  is  converted 
into  soil.  Mingled  with  all  our  timber  are  seen  aspiring  vines, 
which  seem  to  have  commenced  their  growth  with  that  of  the 
young  trees,  and  risen  with  th<?,m,  their  tops  still  flourishing 
together  far  above  the  earth,  while  their  stems  are  alike  bare. 


T  H  K    EMIGRANTS.  383 

The  undergrowth  consists  of  dense  thickets,  made  up  of  the 
offspring  of  the  larger  trees,  mixed  with  thorns,  briers,  dwarf- 
ish vines,  and  a  great  variety  of  shrubs.  The  ground  is  never 
covered  with  a  firm  sward,  and  seldom  bears  the  grasses,  or 
smaller  plants,  being  covered  from  year  to  year  with  a  dense 
mass  of  dried  and  decaying  leaves,  and  shrouded  in  eternal 
shade. 

Such  was  the  scene  that  met  the  eyes  of  our  travellers, 
and  had  they  been  treated  to  a  short  excursion  to  the  moon 
they  would  scarcely  have  witnessed  any  thing  more  novel. 
The  wide-spread  and  trackless  ocean  had  scarcely  conveyed 
to  their  imaginations  so  vivid  an  impression  of  the  vast  and 
solitary  grandeur  of  Nature,  in  her  pathless  wildernesses. 
They  could  hardly  realise  the  expectation  of  travelling  saft-ly 
through  such  savage  shades.  The  path,  which  could  be  seen 
only  a  few  yards  in  advance,  seemed  continually  to  have 
terminated,  leaving  them  no  choice  but  to  retrace  their  steps. 
Sometimes  they  came  to  a  place  where  a  tree  had  fallen 
across  the  road,  and  Edgarton  would  stop  under  the  supposi- 
tion that  any  further  attempt  to  proceed  was  hopeless — until 
he  saw  the  American  drivers  forsaking  the  track,  guiding  their 
teams  among  the  trees,  crushing  down  the  young  saplings  that 
stood  in  their  way,  and  thus  winding  round  the  obstacle,  and 
back  to  the  road,  often  through  thickets  so  dense,  that  to  the 
stranger's  eye  it  seemed  as  if  neither  man  nor  beast  could 
penetrate  them.  Sometimes  on  reaching  the  brink  of  a  ravine 
or  small  stream,  the  bridge  of  logs,  which  previous  travel- 
lers had  erected,  was  found  to  be  broken  down,  or  the  ford 
rendered  impassable ;  and  the  wagoners  with  the  same  im- 
perturbable good  nature,  and  as  if  such  accidents  were  mat- 
ters of  course,  again  left  the  road,  and  seeking  out  a  new 
crossing-place,  passed  over  with  scarcely  the  appearance  of 
difficulty. 

Once  they  came  to  a  sheet  of  water,  extending  as  far  as  the 
eye  could  reach,  the  tall  trees  standing    in  it  as  thickly  as 


384  LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 

upon  the  dry  gronnd,  with  tufts  of  grass  and  weeds  instead  of 
the  usual  undergrowth. 

"  Is  there  a  ferry  here  ?"  inquired  Edgarton. 

"  Oh  no.  sir,  it's  nothing  but  a  slash." 

"What's  that?" 

"  Why,  sir,  jist  a  sort  o'  swamp." 

"  What  in  the  world  shall  we  do?" 

"  We'll  jist  put  right  ahead,  sir  ;  there's  no  dify?c&  ulty  ; 
it's  nice  good  driving  all  about  here.  It's  sort  o'  muddy,  but 
there's  good  bottom  to  it  all  the  way." 

On  they  went.  To  Edgarton  it  was  like  going  to  sea ; 
for  no  road  could  be  seen ;  nothing  but  the  trackless  surface 
of  the  water ;  because  instead  of  looking  down,  where  his 
eye  could  have  penetrated  to  the  bottom,  he  was  glancing 
forward  in  the  vain  hope  of  seeing  dry  land.  Generally  the 
water  was  but  a  few  inches  deep,  but  sometimes  they  soused 
into  a  hole ;  then  Edgarton  groaned  and  the  ladies  screamed  ; 
and  sometimes  it  got  gradually  deeper  until  the  hubs  of  the 
wheels  were  immersed,  and  the  Englishman  then  called  to  the 
wagoners  to  stop. 

"Don't  be  afeard,  sir,"  one  of  them  replied,  "it  is  not 
bad  ;  why  this  aint  nothing ;  it's  right  good  going ;  it  aint 
a-going  to  swim  your  horse,  no  how." 

"  Anything  seems  a  good  road  to  you  where  the  horse  will 
not  have  to  swim,"  replied  the  Englishman  surlily. 

"  Why,  bless  you,"  said  the  backwoodsman,  "  this  aint  no 
part  of  a  priming  to  places  that  I've  seed  afore,  no  how.  I've 
seed  race  paths  in  a  worse  fix  than  this.  Don't  you  reckon, 
stranger,  that  if  my  team  can  drag  this  here  heavy  wagon, 
loaded  down  with  plunder,  you  can  sartainly  get  along  with 
that  ar  little  carry-all,  and  nothing  on  the  face  of  the  yeath  to 
tote,  but  jist  the  women  and  children  ?" 

They  had  but  one  such  swamp  to  pass.  It  was  only  about 
half  a  mile  wide,  and  after  travelling  that  far  through  the 
water,  the  firm  soil  of  the  woods,  which  before  seemed  gloomy, 


THE   EMIGRANTS.  385 

became  cheerful  by  contrast ;  and  Edgartoh  found  at  last, 
that  however  unpleasant  such  travelling  may  be  to  those  who 
are  not  accustomed  to  it,  it  has  really  no  dangers  but  such  as 
are  imaginary. 

As  the  cavalcade  proceeded  slowly,  the  ladies  found  it 
most  pleasant  to  walk  wherever  the  ground  was  sufficiently 
dry.  Mrs.  Edgarton  and  the  children  might  be  seen  saunter- 
ing along,  and  keeping  close  to  the  carriage,  for  fear  of  being 
lost  or  captured  by  some  nondescript  inonster  of  the  wild,  yet 
often  halting  to  gather  nosegays  of  wild  flowers,  or  to  exam- 
ine some  of  the  many  natural  curiosities  which  surrounded 
them.  Logan  and  the  fair  Julia  lingered  still  farther  in  the 
rear.  They  were  in  that  season  of  life  when  acquaintances 
are  readily  formed,  and  when  cordiality  soon  ripens  into  con- 
fidence. A  few  days  had  sufficed  to  inspire  them  with  an 
interest  in  each  other,  which  was  growing  fast  into  tender  sen- 
timent. 

The  spring  of  the  year  is  supposed  to  be  particularly  pro- 
pitious to  the  passion  of  love.  When  the  birds  are  singing, 
and  Nature  assumes  her  softest  and  most  beautiful  attire,  the 
fancy  becomes  excited,  the  heart  awakens  to  the  influence 
of  gentle  affections,  and  like  the  flower  buds,  the  germ  of  love 
swells  and  expands  in  the  genial  atmosphere.  Independently 
of  those  attractions  of  mind  and  person,  in  which  some  indi- 
viduals greatly  excel  others,  there  is  a  loveliness  in  youth 
itself  sufficiently  alluring  to  create  attachment.  The  temper 
is  then  most  apt  to  be  amiable,  the  affections  ardent  and 
generous,  the  mind  cheerful  and  unsuspecting.  The  cares  of 
life  have  not  clouded  the  imagination,  nor  its  disappointments 
chilled  the  fountains  of  kindness ;  Nature  is  then  arrayed  in 
all  the  graces  of  a  distant  landscape,  in  which  the  harsher 
features  are  unseen,  and  the  beautiful  outline,  with  its  delicate 
hues  and  deceptive  shadows,  alone  discovered  in  the  far  per- 
spective ;  and  man  is  contemplated  in  the  pristine  innocence 
IT 


386  LEGENDS    OF    THE   WEST. 

of  Eden,  while  to  the  worldly  eye  he  is  known  in  the  vices  of 
a  fallen  creature. 

The  sun  was  about  to  set  when  the  wagoners  halted  at  an 
open  spot,  covered  with  a  thick  carpet  of  short  grass,  on  the 
margin  of  a  small  stream  of  clear  water.  On  inquiring  the 
reason,  Mr.  Edgarton  was  assured  that  this  was  the  best 
camp-ground  on  the  route,  and  as  there  was  no  house  within 
many  miles,  it  was  advisable  to  make  arrangements  for  pass- 
ing the  night  there. 

"Impossible!"  exclaimed  the  European  gentleman; 
"  what !  lie  on  the  ground  like  beasts !  we  shall  all  catch 
our  death  of  cold !" 

"  I  should  never  live  through  the  night,"  groaned  his  fair 
partner. 

"  We  shall  be  heaten  up  by  vild  volves  or  ungry  hingins" 
whined  the  maid. 

"  Don't  let  us  stay  here  in  the  dark,  papa,"  cried  the  chil- 
dren. 

Logan  expressed  the  opinion  that  an  encampment  might 
be  made  quite  comfortable,  and  the  sentimental  Julia  declared 
that  it  would  be  "  delightful !"  Edgarton  imprecated  male- 
dictions on  the  beggarly  country  which  could  not  afford  inns 
for  travellers,  and  wondered  if  they  expected  a  gentleman  to 
nestle  among  the  leaves  like  Robin  Hood's  foresters. 

"  I  wisht  I  hadn't  never  left  Lunnun,"  sobbed  the  lady's 
maid,  "  this  comes  of  hemigratin  out  of  Hingland  to  these 
here  back  voods.  Only  to  think  of  gentle  volks  and  vim  men 
and  children  having  to  vaunder  in  the  voods,  like  Rob  Roy 
in  the  novel,  or  Walentine  and  Horson  in  the  play.  Oh  !  I 
shall  never  live  to  see  the  morning,  so  I  vont !  do  Mrs.  Hed- 
garton  let  us  turn  back  !" 

This  storm,  like  other  sudden  gusts,  soon  blew  over,  and 
the  party  began  in  earnest  to  make  the  best  of  a  bad  busi- 
ness by  rendering  their  situation  as  comfortable  as  possible. 
The  wagoners,  though  highly  amused  at  the  fears  of  their 


THE    EMIGRANTS.  387 

companions,  showed  great  alacrity  and  kindness  in  their  en- 
deavours to  dissipate  the  apprehensions  and  provide  for  the 
comfort  of  the  foreigners  ;  and,  assisted  by  Mr.  Logan,  soon 
prepared  a  shelter.  This  was  made  by  planting  some  large 
stakes  in  the  ground,  in  the  form  of  a  square,  filling  up  the 
sides  and  covering  the  tops  with  smaller  poles,  and  suspend- 
ing blankets  over  and  around  it,  so  as  to  form  a  complete  en- 
closure. Mrs.  Edgarton  had  a  carpet  taken  from  the  wagons 
and  spread  on  the  ground  ;  on  this  the  beds  were  unpacked 
and  laid,  trunks  were  arranged  for  seats,  and  the  emigrants 
surprised  at  finding  themselves  in  a  comfortable  apartment, 
became  as  merry  as  they  had  been  before  despondent.  A  fire 
was  kindled  and  the  tea-kettle  boiled,  and  there  being  a  large 
store  of  bread  and  provisions  already  prepared,  an  excellent 
repast  was  soon  placed  before  them,  and  eaten  with  the  relish 
produced  by  severe  exercise. 

The  night  had  now  closed  in,  but  the  blaze  of  a  large  fire 
and  the  light  of  several  candles  threw  a  brilliant  gleam  over 
the  spot  and  heightened  the  cheerfulness  of  the  evening  meal. 
The  arrangements  for  sleeping  were  very  simple.  The  tent, 
which  had  been  divided  into  two  apartments  by  a  curtain 
suspended  in  the  middle,  accommodated  all  of  Mr.  Edgarton's 
household  :  Logan  drew  on  his  great-coat,  and  spreading  a 
single  blanket  on  the  ground,  threw  himself  down  with  his 
feet  to  the  fire  ;  the  teamsters  crept  into  their  wagons,  and 
the  several  parties  soon  enjoyed  that  luxury  which,  if  Shaks- 
peare  may  be  believed,  is  often  denied  to  the  "  head  that 
wears  a  crown." 

The  light  of  the  morning  brought  with  it  cheerfulness  and 
merriment.  Refreshed  from  the  fatigues  of  the  preceding  day, 
inspired  with  new  confidence,  and  amused  by  the  novelties 
that  surrounded  them,  the  emigrants  were  in  high  spirits. 
Breakfast  was  hastily  prepared,  and  the  happy  party,  seated 
in  a  circle  on  the  grass,  enjoyed  their  meal  with  a  keen  relish. 


388  LEGENDS   OF   THE    WEST. 

The  horses  were  then  harnessed  and  the  cavalcade  renewed 
its  march. 

The  day  was  far  advanced  when  they  began  to  rise  to  more 
elevated  ground  than  that  over  which  they  had  travelled. 
The  appearance  of  the  woods  was  sensibly  changed.  They 
were  now  travelling  over  a  high  upland  tract  with  a  gently- 
waving  surface,  and  instead  of  the  rank  vegetation,  the  dense 
foliage  and  gloomy  shades  by  which  they  had  been  surrounded, 
beheld  woodlands  composed  of  smaller  trees  thinly  scattered 
and  intermingled  with  rich  thickets  of  young  timber.  The 
growth  though  thick  was  low,  so  that  the  rays  of  the  sun 
penetrated  through  many  openings,  and  the  beaten  path 
which  they  pursued  was  entirely  exposed  to  the  genial  beams. 
Groves  of  the  wild  apple,  the  plum,  and  the  cherry,  now  in 
full  bloom,  added  a  rich  beauty  to  the  scene  and  a  delightful 
fragrance  to  the  air. 

But  the  greatest  natural  curiosity  and  the  most  attractive 
scenic  exhibition  of  our  Western  hemisphere  was  still  in  re- 
serve ;  and  a  spontaneous  expression  of  wonder  and  delight 
burst  from  the  whole  party,  as  they  emerged  from  the  woods 
and  stood  on  the  edge  of  a  prairie.  They  entered  a  long 
vista,  carpeted  with  grass,  interspersed  with  numberless 
flowers,  among  which  the  blue  violet  predominated ;  while 
the  edges  of  the  forest  on  either  hand  were  elegantly  fringed 
with  low  thickets  loaded  'with  blossoms — those  of  the  plum 
and  cherry  of  snowy  whiteness,  and  those  of  the  crab-apple 
of  a  delicate  pink.  Above  and  beyond  these  were  seen  the 
rich  green,  the  irregular  outline,  and  the  variegated  light  and 
shade  of  the  forest.  As  if  to  produce  the  most  beautiful 
perspective,  and  to  afford  every  variety  of  aspect,  the  vista 
increased  in  width  until  it  opened  like  the  estuary  of  a  great 
river  into  the  broad  prairie,  and  as  our  travellers  advanced 
the  woodlands  receded  on  either  hand,  and  sometimes  in- 
dented by  smaller  avenues  opening  into  the  woods,  and  some- 
times throwing  out  points  of  timber,  so  that  the  boundary 


THE   EMIGRANTS.  389 

of  the  plain  resembled  the  irregular  outline  of  a  shore  as 
traced  on  a  map. 

Delighted  with  the  lovely  aspect  of  Nature  in  these  the 
most  tasteful  of  her  retreats,  the  party  lingered  along  until 
they  reached  the  margin  of  the  broad  prairie,  where  a  noble 
expanse  of  scenery  of  the  same  character  was  spread  out  on 
a  larger  scale.  They  stood  on  a  rising  ground,  and  beheld 
before  them  a  vast  plain,  undulating  in  its  surface  so  as  to 
present  to  the  eye  a  series  of  swells  and  depressions,  never 
broken  nor  abrupt,  but  always  regular,  and  marked  by  curved 
lines.  Here  and  there  was  seen  a  deep  ravine  or  drain,  by 
which  the  superfluous  water  was  carried  off,  the  sides  of  which 
were  thickly  set  with  willows.  Clumps  of  elm  and  oak  were 
scattered  about  far  apart  like  little  islands ;  a  few  solitary 
trees  were  seen,  relieving  the  eye  as  it  wandered  over  the 
ocean-like  surface  of  this  native  meadow. 

It  so  happened  that  a  variety  of  accidents  and  delays  im- 
peded the  progress  of  our  emigrants,  so  that  the  shadows  of 
evening  began  to  fall  upon  them,  while  they  were  yet  far  from 
the  termination  of  their  journey,  and  it  became  necessary  again 
to  seek  a  place  of  repose  for  the  night.  The  prospect  of  en- 
camping again  had  lost  much  of  its  terrors,  but  they  were 
relieved  from  the  contemplation  of  this  last  resource  of  the 
houseless,  by  the  agreeable  information  that  they  were  draw- 
ing near  the  house  of  a  farmer  who  was  in  the  habit  of  "  ac- 
commodating travellers.''  It  was  further  explained  that  Mr. 
Goodman  did  not  not  keep  a  public-house,  but  that  he  was 
"  well  off,"  "  had  house-room  enough,  and  plenty  to  eat,"  and 
that  ';  of  course"  according  to  the  hospitable  customs  of  the 
country,  he  entertained  any  strangers  who  sought  shelter 
under  his  roof.  Thither  they  bent  their  steps,  anticipating 
from  the  description  of  it  a  homestead  much  larger  and  more 
comfortable,  than  the  cheerless-looking  log-cabins  which  had 
thus  far  greeted  their  eyes,  and  which  seemed  to  compose  the 
only  dwellings  of  the  population. 


390  LEGENDS    OF    THE    WEST. 

On  arriving  at  the  place,  they  were  a  little  disappointed  to 
find  that  the  abundance  of  houseroom  which  had  been  promised 
them  was  a  mere  figure  of  speech,  an  idiomatic  expression  by 
a  native,  having  a  comparative  signification.  The  dwelling 
was  a  log  house,  differing  from  others  only  in  being  of  a  larger 
size  and  better  construction.  The  logs  were  hewed  and  squared 
instead  of  being  put  up  in  their  original  state,  with  the  bark 
on;  the  apertures  were  carefully  closed,  and  the  openings  rep- 
resenting windows,  instead  of  being  stopped  when  urgent 
occasion  required  the  exclusion  of  the  atmosphere,  by  hats, 
old  baskets,  or  cast-off"  garments,  were  filled  with  glass,  in 
imitation  of  the  dwellings  of  more  highly  civilized  lands. 
The  wealth  of  this  farmer,  consisting  chiefly  of  the  plenty  to 
eat  which  had  been  boasted,  was  amply  illustrated  by  the 
noisy  and  numerous  crowd  of  chickens,  ducks,  turkeys,  pigs, 
and  cattle,  that  cackled,  gobbled,  and  grunted  about  the  house, 
filling  the  air  with  social  though  discordant  sounds,  and  so 
obstructing  the  way  as  scarcely  to  leave  room  for  the  newly- 
arrived  party  to  approach  the  door. 

As  the  cavalcade  halted,  the  foremost  driver  made  the  fact 
known  by  a  vociferous  salutation. 

"  Hal-low  !     Who  keeps  house  ?" 

A  portly  dame  made  her  appearance  at  the  door,  and  was 
saluted  with, — 

"  How  de  do,  ma'am — all  well,  ma'am  ?" 

"  All  right  well,  thank  you,  sir." 

"  Here's  some  strangers  that  wants  lodging  ;  can  we  get 
to  stay  all  night  with  you  ?" 

"  Well,  I  don't  know  ;  he's  not  at  home,  and  I  harly  know 
what  to  say." 

"  I'll  answer  for  him"  replied  the  driver,  who  understood 
distinctly  that  the  pronoun  used  so  emphatically  by  the  good 
lady  alluded  to  her  inferior  moiety  ;  "  he  wouldn't  turn 
away  strangers  at  this  time  of  day  when  the  chickens  is  jist 
goin  to  roost.  We've  ben  a  travellin  all  day,  and  our  crit- 


THE   EMIGRANTS.  391 

ters  is  mighty  tired  and  hungry,  as  well  as  the  rest  of 


us. 


"  Well,"  said  the  woman,  very  cheerfully,  "  I  reckon  you 
can  stay  ;  if  you  can  put  up  with  such  fare  as  we  have,  you 
are  very  welcome.  My  man  will  be  back  soon ;  he's  only 
jist  gone  up  to  town." 

The  whole  party  were  now  received  into  the  dwelling  of 
the  backwoodsman  by  the  smiling  and  roluble  hostess,  whose 
assiduous  cordiality  placed  them  at  once  at  their  ease  in  spite 
of  the  plain  and  primitive,  and  to  them  uncomfortable  aspect 
of  the  log  house.  Indeed,  nothing  could  be  more  uninviting 
in  appearance  to  those  who  were  accustomed  only  to  the 
more  convenient  dwellings  of  a  state  of  society  farther  ad- 
vanced in  the  arts  of  social  life.  It  was  composed  of  two 
large  apartments  or  separate  cabins,  connected  by  an  area  or 
space  which  was  floored  and  roofed,  but  open  at  the  sides, 
and  which  served  as  a  convenient  receptacle  to  hang  saddles, 
bridles,  and  harness,  or  to  stow  travellers'  baggage,  while  in 
fine  weather  it  served  as  a  place  in  which  to  eat  or  sit. 

In  the  room  into  which  our  party  was  shown  there  was 
neither  plastering  nor  paper,  nor  any  device  of  modern  inge- 
nuity to  conceal  the  bare  logs  that  formed  the  sides  of  the 
house,  neither  was  there  a  carpet  on  the  floor,  nor  any  furni- 
ture for  mere  ornament.  The  absence  of  all  superfluities  and 
of  many  of  the  conveniences  usually  deemed  essential  in 
household  economy  was  quite  striking.  A  table,  a  few  chairs, 
a  small  looking-glass,  some  cooking  utensils,  and  a  multitu- 
dinous array  of  women's  apparel,  hung  round  on  wooden  pins, 
as  if  for  show,  made  up  the  meagre  list,  whether  for  parade 
or  use,  with  the  addition  of  several  bedsteads  closely  ranged  on 
one  side  of  the  room,  supporting  beds  of  the  most  plethoric  and 
dropsical  dimensions,  covered  with  clean  cotton  bedding,  and 
ostentatiously  tricked  out  with  gaudy,  parti-coloured  quilts. 

The  "  man"  soon  made  his  appearance,  a  stout,  weather- 
beaten  person,  of  rough  exterior,  but  not  less  hospitably  dis- 


392  LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 

posed  than  his  better  half,  and  the  whole  household  were 
uow  actively  astir  to  furnish  forth  the  evening's  repast,  nor 
was  their  diligent  kindness,  nor  the  inquisitive  though  respect- 
ful cross-examination  which  accompanied  it,  at  all  diminished 
when  they  discovered  that  their  guests  were  English  people.* 
Soon  the  ample  fireplace,  extending  almost  across  one  end  of 
the  house,  was  piled  full  of  blazing  logs ;  the  cries  of  affrighted 
fowls  and  other  significant  notes  of  preparation  announced 
that  active  operations  were  commenced  in  the  culinary  de- 
partment. An  array  of  pots  and  kettles,  skillets,  ovens,  and 
frying-pans,  covered  the  hearth,  and  the  astonished  travellers 
discovered  that  the  room  they  occupied  was  not  only  used  as 
a  bedchamber,  but  "  served  them  for  parlour,  and  kitchen,  and 
hall." 

We  shall  not  attempt  to  describe  the  processes  of  making 
bread,  cooking  meat  and  vegetables,  and  preparing  the  de- 
lightful beverage  of  the  evening  meal,  a  portion  of  which  took 
place  in  the  presence  of  the  surprised  and  amused  guests, 
while  other  parts  were  conducted  under  a  shed  out  of  doors. 
A  large  table  was  soon  spread  with  clean  linen,  and  covered 
with  a  profusion  of  viands  such  as  probably  could  not  be 
found  on  the  board  of  the  mere  peasant  or  labouring  farmer 
in  any  other  part  of  the  world.f  Coffee  was  there,  with  sweet 

*  The  term  Britishers,  which  English  writers,  and  especially  their 
tourists,  persist  in  attributing  to  our  people,  as  one  in  general  popular 
use,  is  entirely  unknown,  in  conversation  or  otherwise,  in  any  part  of  the 
United  States.  If  any  foreign  traveller  ever  heard  it  in  this  country,  he 
must  have  brought  it  with  him,  or  gathered  it  from  an  English  book. 

•j-  I  cannot  resist  the  opportunity  of  nailing  to  the  counter  a  wretched 
fabrication  of  some  traveller,  who  represents  himself  as  dismounting  at  a 
Western  house  of  entertainment,  and  inquiring  the  price  of  a  dinner.  The 
answer  is,  "  Well,  stranger — with  wheat  bread  and  chicken  fixens,  it  would 
be  fifty  cents,  but  with  com  bread  and  common  doins,  twenty-five  cents." 
The  slang  here  used  is  of  the  writer's  own  inventioa  No  one  ever  heard 
in  the  West  of  "  chicken  fixens,"  or  "  common  doins."  On  such  occasions,  the 
table  is  spread  with  every  thing  that  the  house  affords,  or  with  whatever 


THE    EMIGRANTS.  393 

milk  and  buttermilk  in  abundance  ;  fried  chickens,  venison,  • 
and  ham  ;  cheese,  sweetmeats,  pickles,  dried  fruit,  and  honey  \ 
bread  of  wheat  and  corn,  hot  biscuits  and  cakes,  with  fresh 
butter;  all  well  prepared  and  neat,  and  all  pressed  upon  the 
hungry  travellers  with  officious  hospitality.  Had  the  enter- 
tainment been  furnished  in  regal  style  at  some  enchanted 
castle  by  invisible  hands,  the  guests  could  scarcely  have  been 
more  surprised  by  the  profusion  and  variety  of  the  back- 
woods repast,  so  far  did  the  result  produced  exceed  the  ap- 
parent means  afforded  by  the  desolate-looking  and  scantily- 
furnished  cabin. 

If  our  worthy  travellers  were  surprised  by  the  novelties 
of  backwoods  e«/j-hospitality  which  thus  far  had  pressed  upon 
them,  how  much  was  their  wonder  increased  when  the  hour 
for  retiring  arrived,  and  the  landlady  apologized  for  being 
obliged  to  separate  the  guests  from  their  entertainers. 

"  Our  family  is  so  large,"  said  the  woman,  "  that  we  have 
to  have  two  rooms.  I  shall  have  to  put  all  of  you  strangers 
into  a  room  by  yourselves." 

The  party  were  accordingly  conducted  into  the  other 
apartment,  which  was  literally  filled  with  arrangements  for 
sleeping,  there  being  several  bedsteads,  each  of  which  was 
closely  curtained  with  sheets,  blankets,  and  coverlids  hung 
around  it  for  the.  occasion,  while  the  whole  floor  was  strewed 
with  pallets.  Here  Mr.  Edgarton  and  his  whole  party,  in- 
cluding Logan  and  the  teamsters,  were  expected  to  sleep.  A 
popular  poet,  in  allusion  to  this  patriarchal  custom,  imperti- 
nently remarks, 

"  Some  cavillers 
Object  to  sleep  with  fellow-travellers." 

And  on  this  occasion  the  objection  was  uttered  vehemently, 

may  be  convenient,  according  to  the  means  and  temper  of  the  entertainers. 
A  meal  is  a  meal,  and  the  cost  is  the  name,  whether  it  be  plentiful  or 
otherwise. 

17* 


894  LEGENDS    OF    THE    WEST. 

the  ladies  declaring  with  one  voice  that  martyrdom  in  any 
shape  would  be  preferable  to  lodging  thus  like  a  drove  of 
cattle.  Unreasonable  as  such  scruples  might  have  seemed, 
they  were  so  pertinaciously  adhered  to  on  the  one  side,  and 
so  obstinately  resisted  by  the  exceedingly  difficult  nature  of 
the  case  on  the  other,  that  there  is  no  knowing  to  what  ex- 
tremities matters  might  have  gone,  had  not  a  compromise 
been  effected  by  which  Logan  and  the  wagon-drivers  were 
transferred  into  the  room  occupied  by  the  farmer's  family, 
while  the  Edgartons,  the  sister,  the  maid,  the  greyhound, 
the  pug-dog,  and  the  parrot,  remained  sole  occupants  of  the 
apartment  prepared  for  them. 

A  few  more  hours  brought  them  to  the  place  of  their  des- 
tination. Mr.  Edgarton  had  as  yet  no  house,  nor  any  spot 
selected  for  his  residence.  In  choosing  a  neighbourhood,  he 
had  been  directed  by  the  advice  of  some  English  friends,  but 
he  had  now  to  exercise  his  own  judgment  in  purchasing  land 
and  erecting  building-;.  He  found  the  inhabitants  kind  and 
hospitable,  especially  in  giving  him  such  advice  and  informa- 
tion as  his  situation  required,  and  many  eligible  spots  were 
pointed  out  to  him  on  the  vacant  lands  of  the  government. 
An  Englishman,  however,  drop  where  he  may,  considers  it 
his  prerogative  to  know  more  about  the  country  than  its  own 
inhabitants,  and  our  emigrant  wisely  concluded  that  he  was 
the  best  judge  of  his  own  business.  He  looked  for  a  pictu- 
resque spot.  Unacquainted  with  the  nature  of  soils,  or  the 
business  of  farming,  he  imagined  that  rural  occupations  could 
be  carried  on  as  successfully  at  one  place  as  at  another,  and 
having  pleased  his  eye  on  the  surrounding  scenery,  was  satis- 
fied that  he  had  found  all  that  was  necessary  to  happiness. 
His  fancy  was  attracted  by  a  long  arm  of  the  prairie  reaching 
back  into  the  forest  to  the  vicinity  of  a  large  rivulet.  In  the 
depth  of  this  recess  he  placed  his  house,  so  that  its  front  com- 
manded a  view  of  the  widening  vista,  while  its  sides  and  rear 
were  embowered  in  woods.  In  vain  was  he  told  that  the 


THE  EMIGRANTS.  395 

prairie  at  this  point  was  low  and  flat,  that  the  soil  was  a  cold 
sterile  clay,  and  that  the  surface  being  concave  retained  the 
water.  He  could  drain  it ;  the  most  dreary  morasses  had  been 
reclaimed  in  England.  In  vain  was  he  told  that  the  rivulet 
in  the  rear  of  his  house  annually  overflowed  its  banks,  leaving 
standing  pools,  and  creating  noxious  vapours.  He  would  con- 
vert these  inundated  lands  into  meadows,  and  become  a  bene- 
factor to  the  country  by  abating  a  nuisance.  His  little  cottage 
was  soon  reared  upon  the  spot  at  which  he  intended,  at  some 
future  day,  to  build  a  splendid  mansion,  and  the  delighted 
man,  surrounded  by  scenes  as  beautiful  as  the  most  romantic 
fancy  could  imagine,  sat  down  contented  in  the  solitary  wil- 
derness. 

What  was  to  be  done  next  ?  Fields  were  to  be  enclosed, 
grain  to  be  planted,  and  stock  to  be  purchased,  and  our 
farmer's  notions  of  either  of  these  operations  were  so  vague, 
that  he  was  unable  to  take  the  first  step  without  advice.  The 
neighbours,  whose  admonitions  had  been  already  rejected, 
were  applied  to,  and  gave  the  desired  information.  Books 
were  also  consulted,  and  at  length  Mr.  Edgarton  matured  a 
scheme  of  operations.  A  plan  of  the  farm  was  laid  down 
upon  paper.  Here  was  to  be  a  garden,  and  there  a  lawn ; 
here  an  orchard,  there  meadows,  and  there  corn-fields.  The 
requisite  lanes,  hedges,  fences,  and  ditches,  were  dotted  off 
with  mathematical  accuracy ;  plans  of  the  mansion,  the  ice- 
house, the  dairy,  the  barn,  &c.,  were  drawn  separately  ;  Miss 
Julia,  who  had  a  pretty  taste  for  drawing,  coloured  them  all 
very  handsomely,  and  they  were  shown  to  visitors  with  no 
small  degree  of  exultation.  Hope  bloomed  with  promising 
luxuriance,  and  the  happiness  of  expectation  was  fully 
enjoyed. 

The  next  thing  was  to  put  these  splendid  plans  into 
operation;  but  Mr.  Edgarton  now  found,  to  his  surprise, 
that  it  was  almost  impossible  to  procure  labourers.  The 
first  settlers  of  a  new  country  are  former  >  who  do  their  own 


396  LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST." 

work,  and  but  few  persons  could  be  found  who  would  work 
for  hire.  With  great  difficulty  a  few  men  were  employed  at 
extravagant  prices ;  the  buildings  were  deferred  until  another 
year,  and  the  enclosing  the  fields  commenced.  Planting  was 
out  of  the  question,  because  the  ground  was  too  wet ;  drain- 
ing was  attempted,  but  for  this  also  the  season  was  unpro- 
pitious,  and  after  a  fast  expenditure  of  labour  and  money,  Mr. 
Edgarton  found  that  he  had  scarcely  advanced  a  step  towards 
accomplishing  the  herculean  task  before  him.  We  shall  not 
weary  the  reader  with  a  detail  of  all  his  bad  speculations,  in 
buying  horses  that  turned  out  to  be  unsound,  cattle  that  ran 
away,  and  were  never  again  heard  of,  and  sheep  that  were  in- 
continently eaten  up  by  the  wolves,  nor  shock  the  feelings  of 
the  sympathetic  by  reciting  the  dismal  fate  of  numerous 
broods  of  innocent  chickens  and  goslings,  nurtured  by  the 
tender  assiduity  of  Miss  Edgarton,  and  which  fell  an  easy 
prey  to  the  cunning  fox  and  the  audacious  raccoon.  Troubles 
thickened  on  every  side ;  the  sturdy  peasantry  afforded  no 
society  for  the  polished  inmates  of  the  cottage,  and  the  ad- 
vantages of  rural  felicity  began  to  be  doubted.  Often  did 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Edgarton  wish  themselves  back  again  in  their 
snug  back  parlour  in  one  of  the  smokiest  streets  of  London ; 
and  as  often  did  the  pretty  Julia  wish  to  see  Mr.  Logan, 
who  was  understood  to  be  figuring  at  the  bar  of  aneigh- 
bouring  county. 

Summer  came,  and  the  little  cottage,  which  served  for 
parlour,  kitchen,  and  hall,  was  found  to  be  oppressively  con- 
fined and  hot.  Nor  was  this  all :  while  the  salubrious  region 
around  was  blessed  with  genial  breezes,  the  dreadful  malaria 
hung  in  baleful  clouds  over  the  dwelling  of  Edgarton.  The 
rivulet  was  dried  up  by  the  fervent  heats  of  the  season,  leaving 
along  its  former  channel  a  few  stagnant  pools,  which  gave 
birth  to  myriads  of  musquitoes,  who,  from  their  musical  pro- 
pensities and  sanguinary  dispositions,  might  be  imagined  to 
sing,  as  they  hovered  around  this  ill-fated  family. 


_ 

THE   EMIGRANTS.  397 

«  Fee  faw  fum, 

I  smell  the  blood  of  an  Englishman, 
And  dead  or  alive  I  will  have  some." 

Where  the  musquito  sings,  the  malaria  is  brooding  not  far 
distant.  These  dreadful  precursors  of  disease  were,  as  usual, 
soon  followed  by  the  pestilence  itself.  The  summer  wore 
away,  and  the  autumn  found  the  family  of  Edgarton  writhing 
under  burning  fevers.  Mr.  Edgarton  was  first  attacked,  and 
in  a  few  hours  was  prostrate,  helpless,  and  delirious.  Burning 
fever,  raging  thirst,  and  intense  pain,  seemed  to  threaten  a 
speedy  and  excruciating  death.  The  sallow  death-like  com- 
plexion, the  blood-shot  eye,  the  throbbing  arteries,  and  the 
distortions  of  the  countenance  of  the  sufferer,  filled  the  minds 
of  his  trembling  family  with  the  most  agonizing  apprehensions. 
Now  it  was  that  the  helplessness  of  their  solitary  condition 
impressed  their  hearts  with  terror.  Their  nearest  neighbour 
resided  at  a  distance  of  several  miles,  and  they  had  no  do- 
mestic. To  the  females  the  idea  of  losing  a  husband  and 
a  brother,  their  dearest  relative  and  only  protector,  was  suffi- 
ciently mournful ;  but  when  they  reflected  that  he  might  ex- 
pire for  want  of  assistance  which  they  knew  not  how  to 
procure,  the  thought  was  full  of  agony.  But  women  are  not 
apt  to  yield  to  despair  when  the  objects  of  their  affection  are 
in  danger;  and  while  Mrs.  Edgarton  assiduously  attended 
the  sufferer,  Julia  boldly  mounted  a  horse,  and  rode  to  the 
nearest  house  for  assistance,  although  the  way  led  through 
the  forest  by  a  dim  path  with  which  she  was  little  acquainted, 
and  the  approach  of  night  rendered  the  attempt  somewhat 
dangerous.  She  succeeded,  however,  in  procuring  a  mes- 
senger to  go  in  search  of  a  physician.  Before  medical 
assistance  arrived,  which  was  late  the  next  day,  Mrs.  Edgarton 
had  taken  the  fever— then  the  children,  one  after  another, 
until  Julia  was  left  alone,  the  sole  nurse  of  all  whose  blood 
was  kindred  to  her  own  in  the  new  world. 

Week  after  week  rolled  heavily  away.     The  Edgartons, 


398  LEGENDS    OF    THE    WEST. 

parents  and  children,  still  withered  in  the  grasp  of  the  pesti- 
lence. Julia,  pale  and  worn  down  with  fatigue  and  watching, 
was  their  devoted  nurse.  Giving  up  her  whole  heart  to  this 
duty  with  that  intensity  of  affection  and  singleness  of  purpose 
of  which  woman  is  alone  capable,  she  had  become  skilful  in 
the  management  of  her  patients.  A  physician  came  as  often 
as  his  duty  to  others  would  permit ;  the  neighbours  were 
kind,  but  they  were  few,  and  their  own  cares  often  called 
them  away.  Then  came  the  long,  the  solitary,  the  anxious 
hours,  when  poor  Julia,  left  alone  with  her  heavy  charge,  had 
need  of  all  her  fortitude  to  support  her.  The  invalids  under- 
went many  changes ;  some  grew  better  and  others  worse 
alternately  ;  hope  was  excited  one  day  by  the  favourable 
symptoms  of  one,  and  on  the  next  the  danger  of  another 
created  thrilling  alarm.  At  last  there  came  a  trying  crisis. 
The  youngest  child,  an  interesting  boy  of  two  years  old, 
breathed  his  last  in  the  arms  of  Julia.  The  rest  of  the  family 
were  lying  some  insensible,  and  all  unable  to  rise.  Not 
another  human  being  was  near,  and  as  Miss  Edgarton  wept 
over  the  corpse,  she  was  bowed  under  a  sense  of  hopeless 
despondency  that  seemed  to  wither  all  her  energies.  All  the 
fond  hopes  that  had  so  long  cheered  the  path  of  duty  were 
destroyed — the  angel  of  death  had  entered  the  dwelling  ;  one 
victim  had  fallen,  and  the  others,  all,  all  seemed  to  be 
hovering  on  the  brink  of  the  grave.  It  was  evening  when 
this  melancholy  event  happened.  The  sun  was  setting.  Julia 
went  often  to  the  door,  and  looked  over  the  prairie  in  the 
eager  hope  of  seeing  some  human  being  ;  but  none  appeared. 
Night  came,  and  she  was  alone  with  the  dead  and  the  dying. 
At  last  her  agony  became  insupportable,  and  she  left  the 
chamber  of  disease  for  the  purpose  of  refreshing  herself  for  a  mo- 
ment in  the  open  air.  As  she  stepped  out  of  the  door  a  brilliant 
light  attracted  her  attention,  and  sho  discovered  to  her  surprise 
that  the  southern  horizon  glowed  with  a  resplendent  blaze,  which 
threw  its  radiance  over  the  whole  landscape,  and  rendered 


THE   EMIGRANTS.  399 

every  object  as  distinctly  visible  as  at  noonday.  The  prairie 
was  on  fire  !  The  novelty  of  the  spectacle  could  be  equalled 
only  by  its  splendour.  The  fire  itself  was  not  yet  visible,  in 
consequence  of  the  rising  ground  that  intervened,  but  the  spot 
where  it  raged  was  distinctly  indicated  by  a  strong  and  vivid 
glare,  which  extended  along  the  horizon  from  east  to  west. 
Above  were  seen  heavy  volumes  of  smoke  rolling  upwards  in 
masses  of  inky  blackness,  tinged  with  a  fiery  redness  on  those 
parts  which  were  exposed  to  the  reflection  of  the  element. 
The  foreground  of  the  scene  was  a  prairie,  covered  with  dried 
and  yellow  grass,  illumined  with  a  fearful  and  peculiar  radi- 
ance. Here  and  there  stood  a  solitary  tree,  tinged  with  light 
on  one  side  and  throwing  from  the  other  a  shadow  of  super- 
natural length  across  the  plain.  The  forest  on  either  side 
was  thrown  back  into  a  deep  shade,  which  bounded  the 
prospect,  except  where  here  and  there  a  point  of  timber, 
running  out  into  the  prairie  like  a  cape  into  the  ocean,  became 
exposed  to  the  full  glare  of  the  fire,  and  presented  its  hues 
and  outlines  distinctly  to  the  eye.  All  was  still  and  silent; 
no  animated  object  was  seen  upon  the  plain,  not  a  sound  was 
heard  except  that  occasioned  by  the  conflagration,  a  low, 
incessant  roaring  resembling  the  distant  but  tremendous  rush 
of  waters. 

The  fire  had  now  reached  the  most  elevated  grounds,  and 
was  seen  advancing  in  a  long  line,  fanned  by  a  breeze  from 
the  south.  Its  march  was  slow  but  fearfully  regular.  Then 
the  breeze  died  away  and  was  succeeded  by  a  calm.  The 
smoke  now  curled  upwards  for  a  short  distance,  and  then 
descended  in  thick  volumes  upon  the  plain,  discolouring  the 
atmosphere,  and  giving  a  red  and  ghastly  hue  to  the  sur- 
rounding objects. 

Julia  Edgarton  gazed  at  this  scene  with  intense  interest. 
At  first  its  sublime  beauty  awakened  a  lively  feeling  of  ad- 
miration ;  and  she  watched  with  timid  wonder  the  progress 
of  an  element  always  awful  when  raging  uncontrolled  in  its 


400  LEGENDS   OF   THE  WEST. 

splendid  and  terrific  majesty;  but  when  the  flame  was  seen 
extending  across  the  whole  plain,  and  advancing  towards  the 
dwelling  that  contained  the  helpless  objects  of  her  affection, 
heart  sickness  and  unconquerable  panic  filled  her  bosom.  In 
another  hour  perhaps  that  dwelling  would  be  surrounded  by 
the  flames,  and  they  must  all  perish  together.  Her  first  im- 
pulse was  to  fly ;  but  the  selfish  thought  was  instantly 
banished,  and  she  resolved  rather  to  die  than  forsake  her 
charge.  A  slight  noise  drew  her  attention,  and  looking  round 
she  beheld  several  animals  that  she  knew  to  be  wolves, 
crouching  upon  the  ground,  and  glaring  upon  her  with  their 
fierce  eyeballs.  By  a  sure  instinct  they  had  scented  the 
house  of  death,  and  waited  for  their  prey.  Julia  rushed  dis- 
tractedly into  the  house. 

"  Aunt,"  said  one  of  the  little  girls,  "  is  the  sun  rising1?  oh 
how  cheerful  the  light  is !" 

"  Oh  !  the  dreadful  flame  !"  groaned  Mr.  Edgarton,  whose 
senses  were  quickened  to  an  exquisite  acuteness,  "  I  see  it !  I 
hear  the  dreadful  roaring !  The  fiends  are  preparing  their  tor- 
tures !  oh  my  God,  why  did  I  not  seek  thee  before  it  was  too 
late  !" 

Julia  was  stricken  to  the  heart  by  these  words.  Like 
most  rational  and  well-disposed  persons,  she  had  always  en- 
tertained a  respect  for  religion,  but  it  had  formed  no  part  of 
her  education,  and  had  seldom  occupied  her  thoughts.  Now, 
abandoned  by  all  the  world,  and  surrounded  by  the  dreadful 
ministers  of  death,  she  was  convinced  of  the  solemn  truth, 
that  no  hand  less  powerful  than  that  of  an  Almighty  God  could 
bring  relief.  In  vain  had  she  exerted  her  tenderness,  her 
ability,  her  heroism — in  vain  had  she  relied  on  herself.  The 
words  of  her  brother  sunk  into  her  heart,  "  Why  did  I  not 
seek  thee  before  it  was  too  late !"  She  dropped  upon  her 
knees,  and  for  the  first  time  in  her  life  prayed  with  earnest- 
ness and  sincerity.  A  calm  resignation  followed  the  perform- 
ance of  this  act  of  duty,  and  although  no  supernatural  hand 


THE    EMIGRANTS.  401 

was  seen  stretched  out  to  snatch  herself  and  those  who  were 
dear  to  her  from  the  jaws  of  death,  she  felt  that  courage  was 
given  her  to  abide  the  event.  As  she  rose,  her  hand  was 
grasped  with  a  gentle  pressure,  a  tender  voice  pronounced  her 
name,  she  turned  and  sunk  weeping  with  joy  and  gratitude 
upon  the  shoulder  of  Logan. 

He  bore  the  afflicted  girl  into  the  open  air,  and  having  as- 
sured her  that  the  danger  from  the  fire  was  much  less  than  she 
apprehended,  she  had  courage  to  contemplate  again  the  terrific 
scene.  The  line  of  flame  was  advancing  slowly  toward  the 
house,  extending  entirely  across  the  plain  in  front,  and  into 
the  woods  on  either  side.  As  it  rolled  on,  the  flames  were 
seen  darting,  upward,  like  agitated  waves,  and  the  spectator 
could  scarcely  resist  the  idea  that  a  sea  of  flaming  liquid  was 
spreading  its  boiling  and  foaming  billows  over  the  land.  The 
heat  was  now  intense  ;  the  roaring  and  crackling  sounds  of  the 
conflagration,  as  deafening  as  the'din  of  a  tempest.  On  it  swept 
until  it  reached  the  beaten  ground  in  the  vicinity  of  the  house, 
which  afforded  no  fuel,  and  there  the  flame  separated  into  two 
divisions,  and  passing  along  on  either  hand,  swept  away  the 
fences,  the  stacks  and  other  combustibles,  leaving  nothing  but 
the  solitary  cottage  and  its  wretched  inmates  upon  that  wide- 
spread and  smoking  plain. 

Julia  acknowledged  her  gratitude  to  God,  and  felt  that, 
although  in  a  land  of  strangers,  and  surrounded  by  dangers, 
she  had  now  one  Friend  whose  hand  is  mighty  to  save  those 
who  put  their  trust  in  Him. 

On  the  following  morning  Mr.  Logan  made  arrangements 
to  procure  assistance  for  this  afflicted  family.  The  deceased 
infant  was  decently  buried,  and  the  rest  of  the  family  care- 
fully removed  to  the  houses  of  the  neighbours,  where  skilful 
attention  and  pure  air  soon  restored  them  to  health.  Mr. 
Logan  remained  with  them,  and  having  convinced  his  friend 
of  the  futility  of  his  agricultural  schemes,  easily  induced  him 
to  remove  to  the  village  where  he  was  settled  himself,  and  to 


402  LEGENDS    OF    THE    WEST. 

invest  the  remains  of  his  fortune  in  merchandise.  The  change 
was  a  happy  one.  Mr.  Edgarton,  embarked  in  business  for 
which  his  education  and  talents  fitted  him,  succeeded  to  the 
utmost  extent  of  his  hopes.  Health  and  cheerfulness  smiled 
again  at  his  fireside.  The  interesting  Julia  became  Mrs. 
Logan  •  both  families  are  now  in  easy  circumstances  ;  and  the 
members  of  the  happy  circle,  in  reciting  their  adventures, 
never  fail  to  ascribe  praise  to  that  Providence,  which  con- 
ducted them  in  safety  through  the  perils  of  the  ocean,  the 
wilderness,  and  the  pestilence,  and  gave  them  a  pleasant  home 
in  a  land  of  strangers. 


BARRACK-MASTER'S  DAUGHTER. 

A   LEGEXD   OF   FOET    CUMBERLAND. 


person  of  taste  who  has  enjoyed  the  luxury  of 
travelling  over  that  splendid  monument  of  national  mu- 
nificence, the  Cumberland  road,  must  have  been  struck  with 
the  romantic  beauty  of  the  village  from  which  it  takes  its 
name.  It  is  situated  on  a  small  plain  in  the  bosom  of  a  deep 
valley,  surrounded  by  tall  mountains,  whose  abrupt  cliffs 
seem  to  be  inaccessible,  unless  to  the  soaring  eagle  or  the 
adventurous  hunter.  A  small  tributary  of  the  Potomac 
flows  in  a  clear  and  beautiful  stream  through  the  vale,  wind- 
ing its  serpentine  course  round  the  bold  promontories  and 
sharp  angles  of  the  mountain,  until  it  reaches  the  plain,  whore 
it  forms  a  graceful  curve  round  the  site  of  the  village.  The 
sides  of  the  mountains  are  rocky,  and  their  summits  covered 
with  pines;  but  the  valleys  are  rich,  and  thickly  wooded, 
luxuriant  in  vegetation,  and  lovely  to  the  eye. 

Here  stood  Fort  Cumberland,  a  frontier  fortress,  in  the 
colonial  wars  between  the  French  and  English.  At  the 
period  at  which  we  commence  this  narrative,  in  the  year 


404  LEGENDS    OF    THE    WEST. 

1758,  the  fort  was  garrisoned  by  a  numerous  and  gallant 
host,  engaged  in  active  preparations  for  a  distant  enterprise. 
Colonel  Grant,  a  Scottish  officer,  at  the  head  of  eight  hun- 
dred Highlanders,  was  about  to  lead  an  expedition  against 
Fort  Du  Quesne,  on  the  Ohio,  and  every  young  officer  who 
panted  for  fame  was  anxious  to  volunteer  in  this  arduous 
service. 

"  What  think  you,  Major  Gordon,"  said  the  colonel  to 
his  second  in  command,  as  they  strolled  one  evening  along 
the  banks  of  Will's  creek,  at  some  distance  from  the  fort, 
"  will  the  French  be  able  to  stand  against  our  brave  High- 
landers ?" 

"  Of  the  French,  could  we  meet  them  fairly  in  the  field, 
I  have  little  fear,"  replied  the  other  ;  "  but  I  must  confess  that 
I  think  our  troops  but  poorly  calculated  to  contend  in  the 
mountains  against  their  Indian  allies." 

"Pshaw!  Major  Gordon,  I'm  ashamed  of  you.  It  is  a 
reflection  upon  the  honour  of  His  Majesty's  troops,  to  men- 
tion  them  in  the  same  breath  with  a  horde  of  naked  savages  ! 
Sir,  with  my  regiment,  I  can  burn  all  the  wigwams  in  North 
America ;  and  punish  the  mutinous  sachems  for  their  con- 
tumacy, at  a  drum-head  court-martial,  if  they  should  dare  to 
object." 

"You  may,  perhaps,  live  to  change  that  opinion.  At  all 
events,  be  advised,  in  so  important  an  enterprise  as  the 
one  before  us,  to  employ  the  necessary  caution  to  ensure 
success." 

"  What  cautious  measure  would  the  chivalrous  descendant 
of  the  noble  line  of  Gordon  suggest  ?"  inquired  the  colonel, 
in  a  tone  which  almost  conveyed  a  sneer. 

"The  one  I  have  so  often  pointed  out,"  replied  his  friend 
calmly,  "  the  employment  of  a  small  body  of  men  from  the 
frontiers  of  Virginia,  whose  knowledge  of  the  country,  and  of 
the  habits  of  the  enemy,  might  serve  as  a  safeguard  against 
stratagems,  to  which  our  ignorance  would  expose  us." 


THE   BARRACK-MASTER'S    DAUGHTER.      405 

"  A  safeguard  !"  retorted  the  proud  Scot,  drawing  up  his 
fine  form,  and  darting  a  glance  of  unmingled  scorn  from  his 
fierce  eye,  "  truly,  it  would  be  an  edifying  sight  to  behold  the 
Grant  and  his  followers  marching  to  victory  under  the  pro- 
tection of  a  guard  !  a  guard,  too,  of  paltry  peasants !  a  squad 
of  militia  led  by  a  negro  driver  or  a  village  attorney  !  If 
such  notions  are  the  result  of  you  r  long  residence  in  America, 
Major  Gordon " 

At  that  instant  Gordon  suddenly  halted,  and  directed  the 
eye  of  his  companion  to  some  object  before  them.  They  had 
just  passed  a  solitary  cabin  surrounded  by  a  few  acres  of 
cultivated  land,  where  an  adventurous  backwoodsman  ven- 
tured to  reside,  beyond  the  reach  of  the  guns  of  the  fort. 
Beyond  this  clearing  their  path  led  through  a  slip  of  marshy 
ground  covered  with  high  grass  and  bushes.  The  attention 
of  the  officers  was  drawn  to  two  boys,  the  children  of  the 
backwoodsman  whose  hut  they  had  just  passed,  one  of  whom 
was  about  eight,  and  the  other  ten  years  of  age,  who  were 
stealing  through  the  woods  with  cautious  steps,  bearing  a 
couple  of  muskets,  the  butts  of  which  were  borne  by  the 
larger  boy,  while  the  muzzles  rested  on  the  shoulders  of  the 
smaller.  They  stopped  by  a  large  log  at  the  edge  of  the 
swamp,  and  peeped  eagerly  over  it,  and  the  officers  then  be- 
held, a  few  paces  from  the  log,  a  large  bear,  apparently  asleep, 
imbedded  in  the  mud.  The  boys,  having  ascertained  that  the 
animal  remained  where  they  had  discovered  him  a  few  min- 
utes before,  placed  one  of  the  guns  over  the  log,  and  the  oldest 
lad,  after  taking  a  deliberate  aim,  fired.  The  bear,  mortally 
wounded,  sprung  up  in  his  bed,  and  uttered  a  howl  of  agony. 
The  youngest  boy  ran  towards  the  house,  while  the  other 
climbed  nimbly  up  a  small  tree.  Here  he  sat  in  security, 
watching  with  delight  the  expiring  struggles  of  his  victim, 
until  the  latter  sunk  exhausted  in  the  mire,  when  he  screamed 
after  his  brother,  "  Bill,  come  back,  I've  saved  him !"  Again 
they  took  their  post  by  the  log,  and  gazed  at  their  grim  ad- 


406  LEGENDS    OF   THE    WEST. 

versaiy,  who  by  an  occasional  twitching  of  the  muscles  showed 
that  life  was  not  entirely  gone. 

"  I  guess  he's  sort  o1  ''live  yet,"  said  one  of  the  boys. 

"  Let's  give  him  another  pill,"  rejoined  the  other. 

Accordingly,  the  other  gun  was  pointed  over  the  log,  and 
discharged.  The  larger  boy  then  advanced  with  a  long  stick, 
with  which  he  felt  his  adversary  at  a  distance  ;  and  having 
thus  satisfied  himself,  he  at  last  approached  the  body,  and 
seated  himself  on  it  in  triumph.  He  then  shouted  for  his 
brother,  "  Come  here,  Bill !  where  are  you  1  why  yoii're  no 
account,  to  be  afraid  of  a  dead  bear.  I've  used  him  up,  the 
right  way.  He's  cold  as  a  wagon-tire." 

The  officers  now  came  forward  to  speak  to  the  heroic  chil- 
dren, and  learned  that  they  had  discovered  the  bear  while  at 
play,  and  ran  to  the  house  ;  but  finding  that  both  their  parents 
were  absent,  and  knowing  that  their  father's  guns  were  always 
loaded,  they  had  determined  to  attempt  the  exploit  them- 
selves.* 

When  the  officers  turned  to  retrace  their  steps,  Colon t'l 
Grant  expressed  his  admiration  of  this  singular  adventure  in 
strong  language ;  and  Major  Gordon  took  the  opportunity  to 
remark  that  it  afforded  an  apt  illustration  of  the  subject  on 
which  they  had  been  conversing.  "  It  is  thus,"  said  he,  "  that 
the  people  of  the  frontier  rear  their  children.  Their  very 
sports  lead  them  into  danger,  and  they  learn  the  artifices  of 
the  chase  so  early,  that  the  knowledge  is  almost  an  instinct. 
The  moment  a  lad  can  carry  a  gun,  he  becomes  a  hunter,  as 
the  young  falcon  as  soon  as  he  can  prune  his  wing  darts  upon 
his  prey." 

"  What  inference  do  you  draw  from  that  fact  ?" 

"  Simply,  that  these  backwoodsmen  are  better  fitted  for  a 
campaign  in  their  own  forests  than  our  European  soldiers." 

Perhaps  the  colonel  was  convinced.     It  is  no  small  evi- 

*  Founded  on  fact 


THE   BARRACK-MASTER'S    DAUGHTER.     407 

dence  in  favour  of  such  a  supposition,  that  he  dropped  the 
subject  and  remained  silent  for  some  time.  He  then  gaily 
asked  his  young  friend,  "  when  he  had  last  seen  the  barrack- 
master's  daughter  ?" 

"  This  morning,"  replied  the  other  with  some  hesitation. 

"  And  will  not  the  gallant  Major  Gordon  who  has  met  His 
Majesty's  enemies  on  so  many  fields,  acknowledge  that  his 
stock  of  prudence  has  been  very  suddenly  and  marvellously 
increased  by  his  tenderness  for  the  safety  of  a  fair  lady  ?" 

"  Whenever  my  commanding  officer  can  show  his  right  to 
act  the  part  of  the  father-confessor,  I  will  answer  the  ques- 
tion." 

"  Pardon  me,  Gordon ;  I  pry  not  into  your  secrets.  Here 
we  are  at  the  gate.  Go  to  the  fair  Alice,  if  such  be  your  in- 
tention. At  two  we  meet  in  council  at  the  mess-room." 

Perhaps  the  most  important  character,  at  this  time,  in 
Fort  Cumberland,  was  the  barrack-master.  Ensign  Hagerty 
had  entered  the  service  some  thirty  years  before,  a  spruce, 
Irish  lad,  with  no  other  ambition  than  that  of  living  like  a  gen- 
tleman and  dying  like  a  soldier.  The  first  he  had  always 
done,  and  the  last  he  had  never  avoided.  But  although  he 
used  to  boast  that  he  had  been  in  more  battles  than  he  had 
hairs  on  his  head,  he  had  somehow  never  been  able  to  ad- 
vance beyond  the  grade  of  ensign.  Yet  he  had  all  those 
good  qualities  that  used  to  be  so  highly  regarded  in  the  mess- 
room.  His  good-humour  was  infinite,  he  sung  an  excellent 
song,  told  a  story  well,  loved  good  eating,  and  could  starve, 
on  proper  occasions,  with  the  patience  of  a  camel.  ^He  had 
married,  for  love,  a  beautiful  but  penniless  woman,  and  be- 
come the  happy  father  of  five  girls,  who  were  now  grown — 
the  youngest  just  turned  of  fifteen,  and  the  eldest  in  the  full 
bloom  of  her  beauty.  What  would  have  become  of  these  girls 
after  the  death  of  their  mother,  it  is  hard  to  tell,  had  not  a 
relative  in  Philadelphia  taken  them  and  reared  them.  The 
decease  of  their  kind  friend  which  had  recently  taketi  place 


408  LEGENDS   OF  THE    WEST. 

threw  them  once  more  on  the  hands  of  the  ensign,  or,  as  he 
expressed  it,  obliged  him  to  take  command  of  his  own  com- 
pany. 

It  is  necessary  to  state  in  this  place,  that  the  worthy  ensign 
was  not  only  above  the  ordinary  stature,  but  had  been  an- 
nually increasing  in  circumference,  until  he  had  grown  so  un- 
wieldy as  to  be  wholly  unfit  for  actual  service.  Putting  all 
these  things  together,  he  conceived  himself  a  fit  subject  for 
the  special  favour  of  His  Majesty's  government,  and  accord- 
ingly waited  on  the  commander  of  the  forces*  to  solicit  some 
employment  which  would  impose  less  duty  and  yield  more 
profit,  assigning  for  reasons  that  he  had  a  larger  amount  of 
clay  to  nourish  than  ordinary  men,  and  more  daughters  than 
became  an  ensign.  The  consequence  was  that  he  received  the 
appointment  of  barrack-master  at  Fort  Cumberland,  where 
there  were  no  barracks  to  superintend,  with  several  other 
sinecures,  the  aggregate  emoluments  of  which  placed  him  in 
easy  circumstances.  What  was  still  better,  he  was  promised, 
on  the  reduction  of  Fort  du  Quesne,  the  office  of  town  major, 
with  the  addition  x>f  a  lucrative  post  in  the  commissariat. 
After  all,  his  five  daughters  constituted  his  greatest  wealth. 
They  were  tall,  beautiful  women,  very  showy,  and  quite  ac- 
complished. A  remarkable  circumstance  was  the  strong  like- 
ness which  they  all  bore  to  each  other  in  form  and  feature  ; 
the  two  youngest  particularly  could  scarcely  be  distinguished 
by  their  acquaintances.  It  may  be  well  supposed  that,  with 
such  a  family,  the  barrack-master  was  a  prosperous  candidate 
for  all  sorts  of  honours.  The  title  of  major  fell  to  him  by 
courtesy.  His  house  became  the  rendezvous  of  all  the  officers, 
as  it  certainly  afforded  the  most  attractive  society  in  the  gar- 
rison. Whenever  there  was  a  profitable  job  to  be  executed, 
or  a  fat  contract  to  be  given,  he  was  sure  to  get  it ;  and  after 
spending  the  prime  of  his  life  in  hardship,  neglect,  and  pov- 
erty, he  had  reached  that  enviable  period  in  the  career  of  an 
old  soldier,  when  he  might  lawfully  sit  by  his  own  fireside, 


THE   BABRACII-MASTEK'S    DAUGHTER.     409 

smoke  his  pipe,  sing  merry  songs,  and  tell  over  his  campaigns 
to  the  young  officers. 

The  preparations  for  the  march  were  now  going  rapidly 
forward.  The  troops  had  been  for  some  time  engaged  in 
cutting  a  road  across  the  mountains,  and  had  advanced  as  far 
as  the  Laurel  Ridge.  The  fort  was  surrounded  by  the  Indian 
allies  of  the  British,  who  had  been  engaged  to  join  in  the  ex- 
pedition, and  whose  slight  lodges  were  scattered  irregularly 
through  the  valley.  The  warriors,  fancifully  painted,  and  pro- 
fusely decked  with  feathers  and  other  ornaments,  were  seen 
strolling  about  or  engaged  in  councils,  war  dances,  or  athletic 
exercises. 

While  things  were  in  this  situation,  the  young  Alice— to 
wit,  Miss  Hagerty  Number  4— went  one  day  to  visit  the  sick 
wife  of  a  soldier,  who  resided  in  a  hut  outside  of  the  fort,  and 
having  paid  her  the  attention  which  her  situation  required, 
attempted  to  return  by  a  path  that  seemed  to  be  nearer  than 
the  usually  travelled  road,  which  was  somewhat  crowded 
with  soldiers  and  Indian  warriors.  Another  motive  might 
have  induced  her  to  wander  from  the  beaten  track.  Alice 
had  given  her  young  heart  and  plighted  her  faith  to  Major 
Gordon ;  and  as  it  is  a  generally  received  opinion  that 
ladies  thus  situated  are  much  given  to  solitary  contemplation, 
it  is  possible  that  she  might  have  chosen  this  secluded  way 
in  the  hope  of  enjoying  in  its  picturesque  shades  a  few  mo- 
ments of  delightful  abstraction.  If  that  was  the  case,  the 
young  lady  displayed  more  good  taste  than  prudence,  for  it 
was  a  romantic  path,  leading  by  a  serpentine  course  to  the 
little  rivulet  that  waters  this  noble  valley  ;  and  she  lingered 
along  the  bank  of  the  stream,  delighted  with  miniature  cas- 
cades and  eddies,  and  the  various  attractions  of  the  scenery, 
still  keeping  the  narrow  pathway,  which  was  closely  hemmed 
in  with  bushes.  At  last  she  began  to  fear  that  she  had  lost  . 
her  way.  But  she  was  a  high-spirited  girl,  and  felt  little 
alarm.  Although  the  fort  was  not  visible,  she.could  occasion- 
18 


410  LEGENDS    OF    THE    WEST. 

ally,  through  the  openings  of  the  woods,  see  its  proud  flag, 
waving  gaily  in  the  breeze,  and  she  felt  no  apprehension  of  an 
enemy  while  in  slight  of  that  emblem  of  her  country's,  power. 
It  would  be  easy,  too,  to  retrace  her  steps,  and  she  was 
about  to  do  so,  when  a  bird  of  beautiful  plumage  attracted 
her  attention.  Young  ladies  in  love  are  fond  of  birds  too — 
for  the  tender  passion  softens  the  heart  and  renders  it  sensi- 
tive to  all  that  is  lovely  in  nature,  and  the  plumed  songster, 
so  melodious  in  the  expression  of  his  attachments,  so  ten- 
der, faithful,  and  assiduous,  is  an  especial  object  of  sympathy. 
She  followed  it  with  her  eye  as  it  alighted  on  the  bough  of  a 
large  tree,  and  was  attentively  watching  its  graceful  move- 
ments, when  the  figure  of  an  Indian  sitting  among  the  branches 
arrested  her  attention.  He  was  painted  with  colours  so 
nearly  resembling  those  of  the  bark  of  the  tree,  that  it  was 
difficult  to  distinguish  his  form  among  the  branches ;  and 
Alice  would  not  have  discovered  him,  had  not  her  glance 
been  intensely  fixed  upon  the  very  spot  where  he  sat,  but  a 
few  yards  above  her  head.  She  started  back  in  terror,  and 
the  spy,  for  such  he  was,  hastily  discharged  an  arrow  that 
whistled  by  her  ear  and  buried  itself  in  the  ground.  Utter- 
ing a  piercing  shriek,  she  turned  to  fly,  while  the  Indian, 
dropping  from  his  place  of  concealment,  pursued,  caught 
her  flowing  dress,  and  was  raising  his  tomahawk  to  strike, 
when  a  young  man  of  athletic  frame  thrust  himself  between 
them.  With  one  hand  he  pushed  back  the  assailant,  and  with 
the  other  brandished  his  knife.  The  Indian  waited  not  for  the 
attack,  but  darting  backward,  fled  at  full  speed.  The  forester 
shouted  a  signal  cry,  and  in  a  moment  a  number  of  the 
friendly  Indians  appeared,  who,  being  informed  of  the  cause 
of  the  alarm,  dashed  off  in  pursuit  of  the  fugitive.  The  war- 
cry  was  re-echoed  by  a  hundred  voices :  the  whole  of  the 
surrounding  woods  seemed  instantly  to  be  alive  ;  the  terrific 
yell  sounded  on  every  side ;  the  tread  of  feet  upon  the  drv 
leaves  and  the  tramp  of  horses  announced  that  the  whole  In- 


THE   BARRACK-MASTER'S    DAUGHTER.   411 

dian  host  was  awakened.  Then  all  was  silent.  The  alarm 
given  and  the  cause  understood,  the  warriors  were  tracking 
the  fugitive  spy  with  noiseless  steps.  Again,  another  shout 
arose ;  they  had  secured  their  victim. 

In  the  mean  while,  the  stranger  who  had  so  providently- 
rescued  the  barrack-master's  daughter  from  the  tomahawk, 
offered  her  his  arm  and  reconducted  her  to  the  fort.  He  was 
a  young  man,  who  might  have  been  considered  surpassingly 
ugly,  if  it  had  not  been  that  his  features,  though  coarse  and 
irregular,  wore  an  expression  of  courage  and  honesty.  He 
was  a  lieutenant  in  a  company  of  volunteers  recently  arrived 
from  the  frontiers  of  Virginia,  and  had  already  served  seve- 
ral campaigns  against  the  enemy.  Though  of  a  good  family, 
he  was  rugged  and  unpolished  ;  for  the  country,  in  its  then 
unsettled  state,  afforded  none  of  the  means  of  education,  and 
while  other  gentlemen  were  sent  to  distant  schools,  the  youth- 
ful Dangerly  engaged  as  a  private  soldier  in  all  the  military 
enterprises* of  the  frontier.  Naturally  modest  and  sensible  of 
his  ungraceful  appearance,  he  soon  became  bashful,  and  was 
famous  among  his  comrades  for  his  aversion  to  female  society ; 
and  while  he  never  shrunk  from  the  face  of  an  enemy,  the 
approach  of  a  lady  never  failed  to  put  him  to  instant  flight. 
In  the  field  he  was  in  his  element,  daring,  active,  and  fertile 
of  expedient ;  in  camp  he  was  the  best  of  all  good  fellows — 
always  happy,  ready  for  duty,  and  true  to  his  friend,  enjoyed 
an  excellent  appetite,  and  slept  as  soundly  on  the  ground  as 
in  a  feather-bed. 

Mr.  Dangerly  was  not  a  woman-hater — he  had  too  much 
good  feeling  for  that,  but  a  woman  fearer ;  and  on  this  occa- 
sion the  distress  of  the  beautiful  girl,  who  stood  trembling  and 
almost  fainting,  called  all  his  better  qualities  into  action.  He 
was  surprised  into  the  politeness  of  a  true  cavalier,  and  gave 
her  his  arm  with  the  kindness  of  a  brother  and  the  ease  of  a 
gentleman.  He  assured  her  of  the  absence  of  all  danger, 
and  soothed  her  inquietude  in  tones  which,  though  habitually 


412  LEGENDS   ov   THE   WEST. 

rough,  were  bland  and  sympathetic.  Had  he  been  patting 
his  favourite  horse  on  the  neck,  he  could  not  have  used  more 
coaxing  language ;  and  his  brother  officers  were  struck  with 
astonishment  when  they  beheld  the  worthy  lieutenant  advanc- 
ing towards  the  fort  arm  in  arm  with  the  barrack-master's 
daughter,  and  pouring  soft  expressions  in  her  ear  with  the 
eagerness  of  a  devoted  lover. 

Mr.  Dangerly  was  not  aware  of  the  warmth  of  his  expres- 
sions or  the  tenderness  of  his  manner,  for  they  sprang  warm 
from  as  kind  a  heart  as  ever  throbbed,  and  thinking  only  of  the 
fears  of  his  companion,  he  gave  full  vent  to  the  utterance  of 
his  native  benevolence.  He  was  placed,  too,  for  the  first 
time,  in  contact  with  a  young  and  lovely  woman,  who,  besides 
being  habitually  polite,  was  under  the  excitement  of  a  deep 
sense  of  gratitude  towards  her  protector,  and  replied  to  his 
remarks  with  an  ease  and  spirit,  softened  by  the  circumstances 
of  the  moment  into  that  confidence  which  so  easily  steals 
into  youthful  hearts.  The  gracefulness  of  her  beautiful  form, 
as  it  hung  for  support  on  his  manly  arm,  her  low,  tremulous 
voice,  and  the  rich  melody  of  her  tones,  all  went  directly  to 
the  heart  of  the  gallant  Virginian  ;  and  he  wondered  how  it 
happened  that,  among  the  numberless  enjoyments  of  life,  he 
had  never  before  learned  to  estimate  the  most  exquisite  of 
them  all,  the  love  of  woman.  It  was  therefore  with  some  sur- 
prise that,  on  accidentally  looking  round,  he  found  himself  an. 
object  of  general  attention,  and  saw  that  he  was  detected  in 
the  fact  of  gallanting  a  lady.  But  there  was  no  room  for 
retreat;  the  lady  was  under  his  escort,  and  although  the  main 
entrance  of  the  fort  was  thronged  with  spectators,  drawn 
thither  by  the  alarm,  and  whose  glances  were  more  formida- 
ble to  him  than  the  guns  of  that  fortress  would  have  been  in 
an  engagement,  yet,  having  satisfied  himself,  by  a  hasty 
glance,  that  he  must  run  the  gauntlet,  he  boldly  prepared  "  to 
pass  defile  in  front,"  and  push  on.  The  evolution  was  hap- 
pily accomplished  ;  and  the  British  officers  being  all  engaged 


THE   BARRACK-MASTER'S   DAUGHTER.  413 

in  a  council  of  war,  he  conducted  his  fair  charge  to  her 
father's  door  without  interruption,  and  then,  having  exhausted 
his  stock  of  courage,  hastily  bowed  and  retired,  covered  with 
confusion,  to  his  own  tent.  We  pass  over  the  rough  jokes 
that  were  levelled  at  our  worthy  officer  by  his  relentless  com- 
panions. He  bore  them  with  his  wonted  composure,  but  in- 
wardly vowed  that  while  he  would  cherish  through  life  the 
delightful  vision  that  was  impressed  upon  his  fancy,  he  would 
never  again  venture  his  heart  within  the  fascination  of  a  wo- 
man's eye.  nor  subject  himself  to  the  shame  and  ridicule 
which  had  followed  his  first  adventure  under  the  banners  of 
Cupid. 

The  event  just  related  induced  Colonel  Grant  to  hasten 
his  preparations.  A  part  of  the  troops  had  already  been  sent 
forward,  and  were  employed  in  cutting  a  road  across  the 
mountains.  Washington,  then  a  young  officer,  had  urged 
Colonel  Bouquet,  who  commanded  on  this  frontier,  to  advance 
the  troops  bv  the  route  which  had  been  travelled  by  Gene- 
ral Braddock  three  years  before,  which  followed  the  trace 
usually  pursued  by  the  Indians,  and  being  now  somewhat 
beaten,  was  better  than  any  new  road  could  be  made  with 
the  small  force  and  limited  means  at  the  disposal  of  that 
officer.  But  "those  whom  the  gods  doom  to  destruction  they 
first  deprive  of  understanding ;"  the  same  power  which  de- 
creed the  downfal  of  British  power  on  this  continent,  seems 
to  have  almost  invariably  used  her  own  officers  as  the  instru- 
ment of  defeat ;  and  the  contempt  of  the  latter  for  the  advice 
and  aid  of  their  colonial  friends  produced  always  the  same 
disastrous  consequences.  Month  after  month  had  been  con- 
sumed in  the  herculean  task  of  opening  a  military  road  over 
the  Alpine  cliffs  and  gloomy  abysses  of  the  Alleghany  range. 
The  work  had  now  proceeded  as  far  as  the  Loyalhanna,  a 
mountain  stream,  where  a  post  was  established,  at  which  the 
troops  were  about  to  be  concentrated. 

Arrived  at  the  latter  place,  Colonel  Grant's  detachment, 


414  LEGENDS   OF   THE  WEST. 

consisting  of  the  Highlanders  and  a  small  body  of  Virginians 
from  the  regiment  of  Colonel  Washington,  attached  to  it 
much  against  the  will  of  Grant,  was  organized,  and  set  forward 
on  their  march  towards  Fort  Du  Quesne.  The  alacrity  of 
this  leader,  and  his  gallant  bearing,  were  now  as  conspicuous 
as  his  total  ignorance  of  the  country  and  of  the  habits  of  his 
enemy.  He  had  no  idea  of  the  rapidity  and  secrecy  of  move- 
ment which  form  the  most  striking  feature  of  border  warfare ; 
where  every  soldier  carries  his  own  ammunition  and  pro- 
visions, sleeps  in  his  blanket  under  a  tree,  and  is  ready  for  a 
march  or  for  battle  at  a  moment's  warning.  But  under  every 
disadvantage  the  brave  Highlanders  moved  forward  with  a 
noble  spirit.  The  newly  cut  road  by  which  they  passed,  em- 
bracing all  the  ridges  of  the  Alleghany  mountains,  was 
already  blocked  up  in  some  places  by  fallen  trees,  or  ren- 
dered almost  impracticable  by  deep  ravines  washed  by  the 
heavy  rains  that  poured  in  torrents  down  the  sides  of  these 
precipitous  heights.  Sometimes  the  path  wound  over  a  series 
of  hideous  precipices,  which  seemed  inaccessible ;  and  some- 
times an  impetuous  river,  rushing  and  foaming  over  the  sharp 
fragments  of  rock  which  formed  its  bed,  seemed  to  render 
any  further  advance  impracticable.  But  this  inhospitable 
region  was  at  length  left  behind  them,  and  they  entered  that 
great  Western  valley  which  was  destined  to  become  the 
home  of  millions. 

Major  Hagerty,  the  barrack-master,  accompanied  the  ex- 
pedition, for  the  purpose  of  being  on  the  spot  to  enter  on  the 
new  duties  which  would  devolve  on  him  at  the  capture  of 
Fort  Du  Quesne.  Notwithstanding  his  unwieldy  ponderance 
of  body,  he  made  his  arrangements  with  the  alacrity  of  an 
old  campaigner.  Though  not  elated  like  his  junior  com- 
panions with  the  hope  of  laurels  to  be  gathered  on  the  field 
of  battle,  he  entered  with  spirit  into  their  cheerfulness,  and 
seemed  to  share  their  bright  anticipations  of  success.  There 
was,  it  is  true,  some  difficulty  in  procuring  him  a  suitable 


THE    BARRACK- MASTER'S   DAUGHTER.   415 

conveyance  ;  some  of  the  officers  proposed  to  stow  him  in  an 
extra  baggage-wagon  ;  others  suggested  that  a  fatigue  party 
should  be  detailed  to  carry  him  on  a  litter,  while  a  better 
opinion  seemed  to  be  that  he  might  be  advantageously 
mounted  in  a  horizontal  position  on  a  gun-carriage  and  drawn 
by  four  horses.  The  worthy  man,  however,  was  seated  at 
last  on  a  strong  charger,  and  set  out  in.  high  glee ;  and  if  on 
any  occasion  his  unwieldy  bulk  and  difficulty  of  locomotion 
rendered  him  burthensome  to  his  companions,  he  fully  com- 
pensated for  the  inconvenience  by  the  life  and  merriment 
with  which  he  inspired  the  whole  party. 

After  many  toils  they  descended  into  the  vale  of  the  Mo- 
nongahela,  and  never  did  the  traveller's  eye  trace  the  course 
of  a  more  lovely  stream.  Winding  through  bold  hills  with 
a  gentle-  current,  the  river  itself  is  as  placid  as  the  surrounding 
scenery  is  wild  and  picturesque.  At  some  places  the  steep 
promontories  that  hemmed  it  in  seemed  barely  to  afford 
room  for  its  passage,  and  at  others  it  was  margined  by  fertile 
valleys  and  rich  table  lands.  The  most  remarkable  feature 
of  the  scenery  was  the  gigantic  growth  of  the  forest  trees 
and  the  exquisite  luxuriance  of  the  foliage.  The  boughs  were 
weighed  down  with  their  load  of  leaves ;  there  was  also  a 
depth  and  richness  of  colouring  which  the  face  of  Nature 
displays  only  in  the  most  favoured  climates  and  luxuriant 
spots.  In  the  many  varieties  of  green  exhibited  in  the  forest, 
there  was  always  a  brilliancy  of  hue  which  conveyed  to  the 
mind  an  impression  of  vigour  and  freshness  ;  the  flowers  and 
wild  fruits  assumed  every  shade  of  the  gorgeous  and  the 
delicate  in  colour ;  while  the  whole  was  illumed  with  the  in- 
tense brilliancy  of  a  September  sun,  which  had  slightly  tinged 
the  most  prominent  points  of  the  uplands  with  autumnal  tints, 
without  destroying  the  verdure  of  summer. 

An  excursion  through  such  a  region  in  so  delightful  a  sea- 
son might,  under  different  circumstances,  have  afforded  high 
enjoyment  to  a  romantic  mind.  But  here  were  dangers  to  be 


416  LEGENDS    OF   THE    WEST. 

surmounted  and  toils  to  be  endured.  Sometimes  the  thunder- 
cloud, rolling  along  the  mountain  side,  poured  down  torrents 
of  rain,  the  vivid  lightning  shattered  the  tall  trees,  and  the 
heavy  explosions,  reverberated  from  a  thousand  caverns, 
struck  the  stoutest  heart  with  awe.  Sometimes  a  whole  day's 
march  was  performed  without  rest  or  food.  A  lurking  Indian 
was  occasionally  seen  prowling  around  the  camp,  and  darting 
away  when  discovered  with  the  fleetness  of  the  antelope, 
yelling  defiance  or  laughing  in  derision.  The  straggler  who 
imprudently  wandered  from  his  companions,  perished  of  hun- 
ger among  these  savage  fastnesses  or  fell  under  the  toma- 
hawk ;  while  the  nightly  howl  of  the  wolf  admonished  the 
weary  soldiers  that  the  beast  of  prey  was  patiently  pursuing 
their  footsteps  and  eagerly  thirsting  for  their  blood. 

After  a  long  and  arduous  march,  they  at  length  reached 
the  vicinity  of  Fort  Du  Quesne.  It  was  late  in  the  night 
when  they  descended  towards  the  fortress  and  encamped  on 
the  brow  of  a  small  eminence  which  overlooked  it.  The 
enemy  slept  in  security,  unconscious  of  their  approach.  The 
French  were  doubtless  aware  that  such  an  expedition  was  in 
progress,  but  the  attempts  of  the  English  to  penetrate  the 
wilderness  in  this  direction  had  hitherto  been  uniformly  dis- 
astrous, and  but  little  danger  was  now  apprehended  from  the 
troops  of  that  nation.  Perverse  in  their  opinions,  rash  and 
headstrong  in  their  plans,  they  had  neither  conciliated  the 
Indian  tribes,  availed  themselves  of  the  aid  of  the  native 
American  troops,  nor  gathered  wisdom  from  the  lessons  of 
experience.  The  French,  therefore,  prepared  •  and  awaiting 
their  enemy  in  the  confidence  of  success,  supposed  him  to  be 
still  at  the  distance  of  several  days'  march. 

The  British  soldiers  slept  that  night  with  their  accoutre- 
ments on  and  their  arms  at  their  sides,  ready  for  action  upon 
the  first  alarm. 

An  hour  before  the  dawn  of  day,  Colonel  Grant  was 
awakened  by  a  slight  touch  of  a  friendly  hand.  He  sprung 


THE   BARRACK- MASTER'S    DAUGHTER.    417 

from  his  mattress  with  the  alacrity  of  a  well-trained  sol- 
dier. 

"  Ah,  Major  Gordon  I  What  is  the  matter  ?  It  is  not 
day!" 

"  No,  but  it  soon  will  be  ;  and  if  we  are  to  fight  the  French 
this  morning,  it  is  time  to  be  stirring." 

"  You  are  right.  It  will  be  a  glorious  day  for  us,  I  trust. 
And  yet  if  I  was  a  believer  in  some  of  the  superstitions  of 
our  country,  I  should  feel  discouraged  by  the  dreams  that 
have  haunted  my  pillow  during  the  night.  Do  you  believe  in 
such  things,  Gordon  ?" 

"  It  is  hard  to  believe  that  which  is  contrary  to  reason ; 
yet  it  is  difficult  to  deny  what  so  many  of  our  ancestors  have 
asserted,  and  what  many  of  our  countrymen  still  hold  to  be 
true." 

"You  are  a  believer,  then;  I  might  have  known  that. 
Where  is  the  true  Scot  who  will  give  up  one  jot  of  the  faith 
of  his  fathers  ?  But  come,  let  us  see  if  all's  well." 

So  saying,  the  two  officers  stepped  out  of  the  tent  and 
walked  through  the  encampment.  The  morning  was  clear 
and  calm.  The  air  had  that  chilliness  which  precedes  the 
dawn  of  day.  The  soldiers  slept ;  not  a  sound  was  heard  in 
the  camp  or  in  the  surrounding  forest.  The  dim  form  of  the 
sentinel  as  he  walked  his  post  was  the  only  object  that 
moved.  The  officers  passed  round  the  chain  of  sentries,  giving 
the  word  in  a  low  tone,  and  then  returned  towards  the  colonel's 
tent. 

"  It  is  strange,"  resumed  Colonel  Grant,  "  that  the  firm- 
ness of  a  man  can  be  shaken  by  a  mere  phantasy.  I  am  not 
superstitious.  Yet,  last  night,  lying,  as  I  supposed,  wide 
awake,  I  distinctly  saw  our  soldiers  passing  one  by  one 
through  my  tent,  so  slowly  that  I  could  recognise  every  in- 
dividual. They  were  all  bloody  and  mutilated.  I  have  seen 
men  stretched  on  the  field  of  battle,  but  never  did  I  behold 
such  dreadful  gashes,  such  marks  of  wanton  butchery.  They 
18* 


418  LEGENDS   OF   THE    WEST. 

seemed  to  bid  me  farewell.  I  arose,  looked  round,  but  saw 
no  one.  The  sentry  in  front  of  my  tent  assured  me  that  no 
one  had  entered.  I  threw  myself  down,  but  again,  and  again, 
and  again  the  same  apparitions  appeared.  This  incident  has 
affected  me.  But  come,  let  us  shake  off  these  unbecoming 
fancies ;  they  are  unworthy  of  British  soldiers,  especially  of 
us,  who  have  really  no  danger  to  encounter,  and  are  sent 
to  crush  a  nest  of  half-civilized  French  and  ignorant  sav- 
ages." 

"You  despise  our  foe  too  much,"  replied  Major  Gordon; 
"however  deficient  they  may  be  in  discipline,  they  are  brave 
and  cunning;  and  their  fortress  is  capable  of  affording  a  stout 
resistance  to  a  force  like  ours,  unprovided  with  a  train  of 
artillery." 

"Mere  fudge  !"  exclaimed  the  colonel,  "they  know  better 
than  to  resist  us.  At  the  first  sight  of  his  majesty's  flag  they 
will  sue  for  peace." 

"Believe  it  not;  with  their  advantage  of  numbers,  of 
position,  of  ample  supplies,  and  of  a  familiar  knowledge  of 
the  country,  success  on  our  part  will  be  gained  only  by  hard 
fighting  and  artful  management." 

"What  artifice  would  Major  Gordon  propose1?'' 

"  No  other  than  an  early  attack,  by  which  the  enemy  shall 
be  surprised  before  he  is  aware  of  our  presence." 

"No.  by  Jupiter!  I'll  fight  the  rascals  here,  and  by  day- 
light. I  hate  ambuscades,  midnight  attacks,  and  scaling  walls 
like  a  thief  in  the  night.  They  will  be  sufficiently  surprised, 
I  take  it,  at  not  being  allowed  time  to  run  away.  No,  sir,  we 
will  fight  them  at  our  leisure.  Let  the  reveille  be  sounded. 
We  will  try  the  metal  of  these  Monsieurs.  If  they  are  brave, 
let  them  come  out  and  fight  us  on  the  plain ;  if  not,  let  them 
surrender." 

"  PCI  haps  they  may  not  choose  to  do  either." 

"  Then  by  St.  Andrew  we  shall  scale  their  ramparts  in 
broad  day.  A  ban<jl  of  brave  Scots,  with  a  Grant  and  a  Gor- 


THE   BARRACK-MASTER'S   DAUGHTER.  419 

don  at  their  head,  need  fear  no  odds.  Let  the  music  sound, 
if  you  please,  major." 

With  a  reluctant  step,  and  a  melancholy  foreboding  of 
the  disastrous  consequences  of  so  imprudent  a  measure,  the 
second  in.  command  obeyed  the  orders  of  his  superior.  In  a 
few  minutes  the  cheerful  tones  of  the  bugle  were  heard  echo- 
ing from  hill  to  hill,  the  ruffle  of  the  drum  and  the  shrill 
notes  of  the  fife  succeeded,  and  then  the  martial  melody 
of  the  full  band  burst  upon  the  repose  of  the  Valley.  The 
troops  paraded  at  the  sound  and  stood  by  their  arms,  slowly 
and  gradually  filling  up  the  long  line,  as  a  number  of  the 
beautiful  airs  of  their  native  glens  were  played  in  succession 
and  the  music  floated  over  the  hills.  The  darkness  of  the 
night  was  around  them,  but  a  number  of  lights  held  by  the 
Serjeants  who  called  the  rolls,  shed  a  faint  light  along  the 
ranks,  and  showed  a  line  of  stern  faces  and  athletic  figures, 
clad,  as  was  allowable,  in  all  the  varieties  of  military  un- 
dress. Some  were  in  regimentals,  some  in  great  coats,  some 
wore  the  Highland  bonnet,  and  others  night-caps ;  but  all 
these  gallant  soldiers,  as  they  leaned  on  their  muskets,  showed 
the  stern  indifference  or  careless  courage  of  men  who,  having 
imbibed  the  opinions  of  their  leader,  felt  no  sense  of  danger 
to  themselves  or  of  respect  for  their  foe.  The  officers  strolled 
along  the  lines,  yawning  from  their  slumbers,  or  collected  in 
groups,  some  looking  suspiciously  towards  the  surrounding 
thickets,  and  others  conversing  in  low  accents  on  the  antici- 
pated events  of  the  ensuing  day. 

"  These  are  new  tactics,"  said  the  old  serjeant- major  to 
the  barrapk-master,  as  they  sat  together  on  the  end  of  a  log. 

';  Quite  novel,"  replied  the  latter ;  "  the  Frenchman  ought 
to  be  much  obliged  to  us  for  giving  him  timely  notice  of  our 
approach.  If  Monsieur  would  only  stretch  his  courtesy  so 
far  as  to  invite  us  all  to  breakfast,  I  should  take  it  as  a  kind- 
ness.  This  bush-fighting,  O'Doherty,  makes  sad  inroads  upon 
the  regular  habits  of  old  campaigners  like  you  and  I.  Noth- 


420  LEGENDS?OF   THE    WEST. 

ing  but  cold  meat  and  forced  marches.  If  w&.were  snug  in 
yonder  fort  I  should  like  it,  if  it  were  only  for  the  honour  of 
the  regiment  and  th'e  credit  of  sitting  once  more  at  a  decent 
table." 

"  Young  men  will  have  their  own  way."  croaked  the  ser- 
jeant-major,  whose  appetite  just  then  was  not  the  keenest. 

"  Aye,"  rejoined  his  friend,  "  and  old  soldiers  who  look 
for  promotion  should  have  quiet  tongues — bushes  have  ears 
as  well  as  walls." 

The  day  now7  began  to  dawn,  and  Colonel  Grant,  advancing 
towards  a  circle  of  officers,  began  to  give  orders. 

"Major  Lewis,"  said  he  to  a  brave  Virginian,  who  com- 
manded the  small  corps  from  the  regiment  of  Colonel  Wash- 
ington, "  you  will  take  charge  of  the  baggage,  and  retire  with 
it  two  miles  to  the  rear." 

The  major  bowed  assent,  remarking  that  it  would  have 
been  gratifying  to  him  and  to  his  men  to  participate  in  the 
action. 

"  It  will  be  a  mere  skirmish,"  replied  the  commanding 
officer,  "  these  fellows  will  not  fight,  depend  upon  it;  and  if 
they  should,  your  militia,  major,  would  only  be  in  the  way.'' 

"  Captain  Brinton,"  continued  he,  "  you  will  take  an  escort 
and  reconnoitre  the  enemy's  works.  We  have  no  time  to 
spare,  sir ;  ride  up  to  the  esplanade  and  take  a  rough  plan. 
If  there  are  any  buildings  in  the  vicinity  that  would  inter- 
rupt our  approach,  burn  them.  Let  us  dress  for  parade, 
gentlemen,  and  after  that,  if  the  Frenchman  should  not  be 
polite  enough  to  give  us  the  first  call,  we  will  pay  him  a 
morning  visit." 

The  troops  dispersed,  and  were  soon  engaged  in  active 
preparations  for  breakfast,  for  the  morning  parade,  and  for 
battle.  Fires  were  kindled  round  the  encampment,  and  the 
business  of  cooking  commenced.  Men  were  seen  brushing 
their  clothes,  burnishing  their  guns,  placing  new  flints  in  their 
locks,  and  preparing  in  various  ways  for  the  active  business 


THE   BARRACK-MASTER'S   DAUGHTER. 


421 


of  the  day.  The  sun  now  rose  in  unclouded  splendour  over 
the  eastern  hills,  lighting  up  a  landscape  of  unrivalled  beauty. 
The  camp  was  situated  on  a  small  hill,  overlooking  the  woods 
on  either  side.  On  the  left  was  seen  the  Monongahela,  a 
placid,  serpentine  river,  meandering  through  a  broken,  pictu- 
resque region  and  margined  with  forests  of  matchless  luxu- 
riance. Beyond  this  stream  was  a  range  of  tall  hills,  covered 
with  timber,  and  whose  western  exposure,  not  yet  lighted  by 
the  morning  sun,  was  clothed  in  the  deepest  and  richest  shades. 
On  the  right  was  the  Alleghany,  a  bold,  rapid  current,  rushing 
over  broken  rocks  and  covered  with  foam,  which  sparkled 
with  sunbeams,  while  the  hills  beyond  were  glowing  with 
brilliant  hues.  In  front,  these  rivers  were  beheld  mingling 
their  waters,  and  forming  by  their  junction  the  beautiful  and 
majestic  Ohio,  which  swept  off  to  the  west  in  abroad,  smooth, 
and  rapid  stream.  On  the  point  of  land  formed  by  the 
"  meeting  of  the  waters,"  stood  Fort  Du  Quesne,  whose 
massy  parapets  were  embosomed  in  forests,  and  whose  gaudy 
flag  was  sporting  its  gay  colours  over  a  wilderness  of  green. 
Not  a  sound  was  heard  from  that  solitary  fortress,  not  a  living 
creature  was  seen,  to  give  evidence  that  it  was  the  abode  of 
man  or  the  seat  of  military  power.  Between  that  and  the 
.British  camp  was  a  plain,  thickly  wooded,  with  the  exception 
of  a  strip  occupied  by  a  cluster  of  straggling  huts  and  a  few 
small  newly-cleared  fields.  Such  was  the  scene  displayed  to 
the  eyes  of  the  military  strangers ;  and  if  its  silence  and 
solitude  conveyed  to  their  minds  an  idea  of  the  timidity  of 
the  foe,  who  seemed  to  shrink  from  observation  and  retire 
from  conflict,  there  was  also  a  sense  of  awe  induced  by  the 
vastness  of  the  amphitheatre  and  the  noiseless  repose  of  its 
secluded  valleys.  The  excitement  produced  by  the  sight  of  a 
proudly  marshalled  enemy,  by  the  clangor  of  arms,  the  rapid 
transit  of  neighing  steeds,  the  flourish  of  trumpets,  and  the 
bustle  of  military  evolutions  was  absent  from  this  exhibition, 
and  the  soldiers  gazed  around  them  in  doubt  and  silence. 


422  LEGENDS   OF   THE   W E s T . 

Suddenly  a  thick  column  of  smoke  was  seen  ascending  into 
the  air,  and  in  another  moment  the  cabins  near  the  fort  were 
\\rapped  in  flames.  Still  not  an  enemy  was  seen.  The  en- 
gineer who  had  been  charged  with  the  duty  of  reconnoitring 
the  fort,  and  who  had  fired  the  village,  marched  leisurely  and 
carelessly  back  to  camp,  with  the  security  of  one  who  having 
taunted  the  foe  by  approaching  to  the  muzzles  of  his  guns, 
was  convinced  of  his  cowardice  or  weakness. 

"  What  news  T'  inquired  the  colonel,  as  his  emissary  ad- 
vanced to  report  the  execution  of  his  orders ;  "  I  hope  you 
had  a  pleasant  visit,  captain,  and  found  Monsieur  in  good 
health  and  spirits." 

"  Monsieur  was  not  at  home"  replied  the  officer  ;  "  I  found 
the  gate  locked,  and  not  even  a  porter  to  answer  my  call. 
Having  no  opportunity,  therefore,  of  even  leaving  my  card,  I 
kindled  a  bonfire,  as  the  only  feasible  mode  of  announcing  to 
him  that  I  had  paid  my  respects." 

"  A  very  good  idea,  captain ;  now,  gentlemen,  let  us  to 
breakfast,  and  after  that,  if  this  unsocial  Frenchman  should 
continue  to  keep  his  gates  barred,  we  will  try  the  virtue  of 
an  escalade." 

The  officers  retired  to  their  tents,  the  soldiers  sat  in  little 
groups  in  the  open  air  with  their  smoking  messes  before  them, 
and  all  were  engaged  in  doing  justice  to  the  coarse  fare  of  a 
camp  with  the  keen  appetites  of  veteran  campaigners,  when 
the  report  of  a  musket  was  heard  and  a  bullet  whistled  over 
their  heads.  The  soldiers  started  to  their  feet  and  the  offi- 
cers rushed  from  their  tents. 

"  Who  fired  that  gun  ?"  demanded  the  officer  of  the  day. 

No  one  replied,  and  the  soldiers  looked  round  at  each 
other,  for  even  yet  none  suspected  that  a  foeman  was  near. 

"  The  enemy  !  the  enemy  !"  shouted  several  of  the  senti- 
nels, and  the  same  moment  a  shower  of  balls  poured  in  upon 
the  British,  accompanied  by  the  signal  calls  of  numerous 
bugles  and  the  loud  yell  of  the  savage. 


THE   BARRACK-MASTER'S   DAUGHTER.    423 

"  To  arms  !"  exclaimed  the  colonel. 

"  Full  in  !  fall  in  !"  cried  the  company  officers. 

"  Form  your  companies,  gentlemen  !''  roared  the  colonel, 
"  the  day  is  our  own,  my  brave  Highlanders  !  Music  there  ! 
beat  all  the  drums  and  drown  that  cursed  yelling  !  Let  the 
guard  be  called  in  !  Major  Gordon,  take  a  company  and  dis- 
lodge the  enemy  from  the  thickets  on  our  right !" 

Before  tlu'se  several  orders  could  be.  executed,  the  battle 
thickened  around  the  devoted  party,  and  the  bullets  poured  in 
upon  them  from  every  side.  .The  Indians,  hideously  painted 
and  decked  in  their  savage  fmerv.  advanced  audaciously  so 
near  that  their  dark  forms  could  be  plainly  distinguished  as 
they  glided  from  tree  to  tree.  The  sharp  shrill  sound  of  the 
war-whoop,  uttered  in  tones  resembling  the  barking  of  a  small 
~ctog,  acquired  a  terrific  volume  and  frightful  energy  from  the 
number  of  voices  engaged  in  the  horrible  concert.  The  sen- 
tinels.  disdaining  to  (Iv.  were  slain  at.  their  posts  before  thev 
could  be  relieved,  and  their  bodies  wantonly  butchered  in  full 
vie^w  of  their  comrades  by  the  fiends  who  tore  th^m  in  pieces 
with  hellish  exultation. 

Colonel  Grant  displayed  all  the  coolness  and  gallantry  of 
an  accomplished  soldier,  exposing  a  solid  front  to  the  enemy, 
and  bravely  attempting,  by  desperate  charges,  to  dislodge 
them  from  the  surrounding  coverts.  But  he  now  learned 
how  unavailing  is  courage  when  it  is  not  guided  by  prudent 
counsels  and  accurate  information,  and  how  inefficient  are  the 
tactics  of  regular  warfare  in  a  contest  with  barbarian  hordes 
in  their  native  forests.  The  French  and  Indians,  dispersing 
themselves  through  the  woods,  occupied  every  thicket  which 
afforded  concealment,  and  lurked  behind  every  object  which 
afforded  the  protection  of  a  natural  rampart.  Some  were 
placed  in  the  ravines  and  hollows,  stretched  at  full  length  on 
the  ground  ;  some  kneeled  behind  the  great  trunks  of  fallen 
trees,  while  the  boldest  warriors  advanced  singly,  each  select- 
ing a  standing  tree  as  a  cover,  and  firing  from  behind  it  with 


424  LEGENDS    OF    THE    WEST. 

but  little  exposure  of  his  own  person.  If  they  pressed  for- 
ward, it  was. by  darting  rapidly  from  one  tree  to  another;  if 
they  retreated,  the  same  operation  was  practised  in  an  inverted 
order ;  and  thus  while  the  European  troops  stood  together  in 
compact  ranks,  affording  a  broad  and  stationary  mark  to  an 
army  of  sharp-shooters,  their  own  bullets  whistled  harmlessly 
through  the  forest. 

The  lines  of  the  brave  Highlanders  were  rapidly  thinned, 
and  their  leader,  stung  to  desperation,  determined  at  last  to 
rush  into  closer  conflict,  be  the  consequence  what  it  might. 
Placing  himself  at  the  head  of  the  whole  detachment,  he 
dashed  forward  into  the  thickest  body  of  the  enemy.  The 
Indians,  smeared  with  blood  and  excited  to  fury,  closed  around 
them.  The  bayonet  and  the  cutlass  came  into  contact  with 
war-club  and  tomahawk,  and  the  shouts  of  the  maddened  sol- 
diers were  mingled  with  the  yell  of  the  savage.  For  a  mo- 
ment the  stout  Scots  felt  the  stern  joy  of  gratified  revenge  as 
their  foes  fell  around  them  ;  but  their  success  was  but  mo- 
mentary ;  outnumbered,  hemmed  in,  and  entangled  in  the 
brushwood,  they  were  rapidly  dwindling  in  force,  while  the 
places  of  their  slain  foes  were  continually  supplied  by  new 
reinforcements. 

At  this  crisis  a  heavy  volley  was  heard  in  the  rear,  min- 
gled with  loud  and  reiterated  cheers,  and  Major  Lewis,  with 
that  band  of  Virginians  who  had  been  ordered  away,  that  they 
might  not  impede  the  motions  of  the  regulars,  was  seen  ad- 
vancing. Adopting,  to  some  extent,  the  Indian  mode  of  war- 
fare, his  men  came  forward  in  a  long,  irregular  line,  firing 
from  behind  the  trees,  and  each  individual  aiming  at  a  par- 
ticular foe,  and  discharging  his  rifle  at  his  own  discretion  with 
deadly  effect.  Rapidly  but  cautiously  they  moved  on,  sweep- 
ing the  enemy  before  them,  and  reached  the  battle-ground 
just  as  Colonel  Grant  had  been  struck  down  and  was  about 
to  be  dragged  away  by  the  Indians.  Major  Lewis  rushed  to 
the  rescue,  but  these  officers  were  soon  separated  from  their 


THE   BARRACK-MASTER'S    DAUGHTER.    425 

troops  and  both  taken  captive.  The  patriotic  Virginians  stood 
their  ground,  undismayed  by  the  loss  of  their  commander 
and  undaunted  by  the  fierceness  of  the  battle,  while  the  enemy 
fell  back  under  the  destructive  energy  of  the  American  rifle, 
and  collected  their  forces  for  a  more  desperate  effort.  Two 
hundred  of  the  Highlanders  had  now  fallen,  and  the  remainder, 
panic-struck  and  thrown  into  confusion,  stood  crowded  together 
in  stupid  dismay,  while  their  brave  defenders  faced  the  enemy 
with  cool  disciplined  courage.  The  battle  still  raged  with 
great  fury,  for  the  Virginians,  adding  experience  to  ardour, 
and  magnanimously  devoting  themselves  to  the  protection  of 
those  who  had  so  lately  spurned  their  assistance,  fought  like 
men  resolved  to  conquer  or  to  die.  The  enemy  was  soon 
forced  to  act  on  the  defensive,  and  at  length,  after  a  great 
loss,  retired  sullenly  from  the  contest.  Major  Gordon  rallied 
the  Highlanders,  and  a  retreat  was  effected  in  good  order  to 
the  place  where  Major  Lewis  had  left  the  baggage  under  a 
small  guard.  The  conduct  of  the  handful  of  Americans  who 
so  gallantly  turned  the  fortune  of  the  day,  may  be  estimated 
not  only  by  their  brilliant  success,  but  by  their  loss.  Out  of 
eight  officers,  five  were  killed,  a  sixth  wounded,  and  a  seventh 
taken  prisoner ;  and  of  one  hundred  and  sixty-six  privates, 
sixty-two  were  killed. 

But  what  became  of  the  barrack-master  ?  Having  no 
command,  and  being  too  honourable  to  fly,  Major  Hagerty 
stationed  himself  as  near  the  centre  of  the  troops  as  he  could, 
from  a  prudent  conviction  that  an  unnecessary  exposure  of 
his  person  would  neither  benefit  his  country  nor  himself. 
Here  he  stood  for  a  long  while,  pushed  forward  when  the 
troops  advanced,  pushed  backward  when  they  recoiled,  and 
dreadfully  pushed  all  the  while,  in  his  fat  sides,  by  the  sol- 
diers' elbows  and  the  butts  of  their  muskets.  At  last  wearied 
with  this  exercise,  he  very  deliberately  seated  himself  on  a 
log,  and  watched  the  conflict  with  a  wary  eye,  until  finding 
that  the  prospect  of  becoming  town  major  was  every  moment 
17 


426  LEGENDS   OF   THE   WEST. 

growing  more  faint,  his  military  ardour  began  to  kindle,  and 
seizing  the  sword  of  an  officer  who  had  fallen,  he  stepped  into 
his  place.  Here  he  performed  good  service  until  the  retreat 
was  ordered,  an  evolution  which  was  performed  in  good  order, 
but  with  such  rapidity  that  he  was  soon  left  puffing  and  blow- 
ing in  the  rear.  The  Indians  in  full  pursuit  were  yelling 
behind  him  like  a  pack  of  hungry  wolves,  while  the  Virginian 
rangers  were  fiercely  beating  them  back  and  covering  the 
retreat.  On  he  waddled  nearly  exhausted ;  at  last  the  High- 
landers were  almost  out  of  sight,  and  the  covering  party  came 
sweeping  by,  led  by  an  officer  mounted  on  horseback,  and 
covered  with  blood  and  dust. 

"  Run,  Fal staff !"  shouted  the  officer. 

"Run  yourself!"  replied  the  exhausted  veteran,  "my  race 
is  over." 

"  Hurra,  boys  !"  shouted  the  officer ;  "  beat  back  the  blood- 
hounds !  Old  Virginia  for  ever  !  Run,  old  gentleman  !" 

The  barrack-master  stopped,  folded  his  arms,  staggered 
against  a  tree,  and  stood  in  sullen  desperation  awaiting  his 
fate  ;  "  I  can  go  -no  further,"  said  he,  faintly  ;  "  I  can  die — 
my  poor  children  !" 

In  a  moment  the  officer,  who  was  Mr.  Dangerly,  was  at 
his  side,  and  dismounted  ;  "  Take  my  horse,"  said  he. 

Hagerty  was  brave,  but  exhausted  with  heat  and  unwonted 
exertion,  daunted  by  the  near  approach  of  a  cruel  death,  and 
overcome  by  the  recollection  of  his  helpless  family,  a  desperate 
apathy  was  creeping  over  him.  He  gazed  at  his  preserver 
wildly.  A  mingled  expression  of  stupidity  and  fierceness 
marked  his  features,  mental  agony  and  bodily  exhaustion 
combined  to  unsettle  his  faculties.  "  Let  them  come !"  he 
exclaimed ;  "I  can  die  but  once.  Tell  my  poor  girls  that  I 
acted  like  a  soldier,  and  run  as  long  as  I  could." 

Dangerly,  assisted  by  his  men,  placed  him  on  the  horse  ; 
the  change  of  position  brought  him  to  his  senses,  he  looked 
round  for  a  moment  like  one  awakened  from  a  dream,  then 


THE   BARRACK-MASTER'S    DAUGHTER.    427 

pressing  his  heels  into  the.  charger's  sides,  was  borne  in  a  few 
minutes  to  his  companions. 

"  There  goes  the  last  of  them  !"  shouted  Dangerly  ;  "now 
fur  another  charge  !  Hurra,  my  brave  fellows  !  Virginia  for 
ever  !" 

The  Indians,  once  more  driven  back,  pursued  no  further, 
and  tlie  covering  party,  dripping  with  sweat  and  blood,  soon 
joined  the  main  body. 

This  was  a  proud  triumph  for  the  Virginia  troops.  At 
the  commencement  of  the  expedition  their  services  had  been 
pressed  upon  Colonel  Grant  against  his  wishes,  and  he  had  on 
the  morning  of  this  eventful  day  ordered  them  away  from 
the  field  of  battle  in  the  most  ungracious  manner.  Forgetting 
these  indignities,  they  came  to  the  rescue  of  the  king's  troops 
with  a  magnanimity  as  creditable  to  them  as  the  skill  and 
gallantry  displayed  in  the  conflict.  They  had  decisively  beaten 
the  same  enemy  which  had  first  defeated  a  vastly  superior 
number  of  the  regular  forces;  and  while  the  latter  were  well 
content  to  escape  captivity  or  death,  the  brave  Virginians 
were  entitled  to  all  the  laurels  of  this  hard-fought  field.  Mr. 
Danger] v  especially  looked  back  upon  the  events  of  this  day 
with  emotions  of  pride  and  pleasure.  Although  a  very  young 
officer,  the  death  or  capture  of  all  his  superiors  had  placed 
him  in  command,  and  to  him  chiefly  redounded jthe  glory  of 
retrieving  the  battle.  But,  above  all,  he  felt  a  secret  joy  in 
the  service  which  he  had  rendered  to  the  barrack-master. 
The  beautiful  vision  of  Alice  Hagerty  had  not  faded  from  his 
memory.  The  adventure  at  Fort  Cumberland,  the  only  one  of 
his  life  in  which  a  fair  lady  was  a  party,  had  been  cherished 
and  brooded  over  until  it  had  made  a  permanent  impression 
upon  his  imagination.  Ardent  and  romantic  in  his  tempera- 
ment, he  suffered  his  fancy  to  dwell  upon  this  agreeable  inci- 
dent, until  that  whieh  was  at  first  viewed  as  a  mere  pos- 
sibility, began  to  assume  the  form  of  truth,  and  he  not  only 
became  fully  persuaded  that  he  was  in  love  himself,  but  even 


428  LEGENDS    OF   THE   WEST. 

ventured  to  fancy  that  the  young  lady  might  in  time  be 
proved  to  possess  a  heart  as  susceptible  as  his  own.  As  for 
the  barrack-master,  he  was  not  ungrateful,  as  will  be  seen  in 
the  sequel  of  this  veracious  legend. 

We  shall  now  leave  these  perilous  wars,  of  which  the 
reader  has  perhaps  had  a  surfeit,  and  change  the  scene  to  Fort 
Cumberland.  The  troops  had  returned,  and  Major  Hagerty 
sat  by  his  own  fireside,  surrounded  by  all  his  social  comfurts, 
and  tall  daughters.  He  was  repeating  the  story  of  the  battle 
— the  twentieth  edition  with  copious  notes — and  was  dwelling 
especially  on  his  own  miraculous  7iair-breadth  escape  from 
the  barber-ous  surgical  operation  of  scalping,  wherein  he  spake 
eloquently  of  the  magnanimous  conduct  of  Mr.  Dangerly,  in 
giving  up  his  horse  at  a  time  when  this  heroic  young  man 
was  so  exhausted  from  fatigue  and  loss  of  blood  as  to  render 
the  act  one  of  generous  self-sacrifice. 

"  What  a  noble  deed  !"  exclaimed  Alice. 

"  Considering  that  he  was  never  out  of  America,  it  was 
quite  remarkable,"  said  Miss  Hagerty  Number  1. 

"  A  very  clever  action,  I  declare,"  echoed  Number  2. 

"  We  are  under  infinite  obligations  to  him,"  simpered 
NumberS. 

The  barrack-master  puffed  the  tobacco  smoke  in  large  vol- 
umes from  tys  mouth,  and  after  musing  for  some  minutes, 
said,  with  a  significant  glance, 

"  I  fear,  Alice,  my  dear,  that  he  has  lost  his  heart." 

The  young  lady  blushed  deeply,  for  the  impression  made 
by  her  beauty  upon  the  heart  of  the  American  officer  had 
been  the  subject  of  so  much  conversation  and  merriment,  that 
the  allusion  could  not  be  misunderstood. 

"  Gordon  need  hardly  fear  such  a  rival,"  remarked  Num- 
ber 1,  ironically — for  Number  1,  with  reverence  be  it  spoken, 
had  passed  the  mature  age  of  five-and-twenty,  and  sometimes 
spoke  tartly  in  relation  to  young  men. 

The  father  seemed  hurt,  and  warmly  replied,  "  You  might 


THE    BARRACK -MASTER'S    DAUGHTER. 


429 


be  proud,  either  of  you,  of  such  a  lover.  Would  to  Heaven 
he  had  placed  his  affections  on  either  of  my  daughters,  except 
Alice,  whose  heart  is  not  her  own." 

"  I  hope,  papa,"  said  Number  2,  bridling  her  pretty  head, 
"  you  do  not  intend  to  offer  us  to  this  singularly  uncouth 
young  man  ?" 

' — A  person  of  no  family — "  continued  Number  3. 

" — And  a  mere  colonist — "  added  Number  1. 

"  Don't  be  at  all  alarmed,  girls,"  exclaimed  Number  5,  a 
blooming  maiden  of  sixteen,  with  an  arch  eye,  a  round  blush- 
ing cheek,  and  a  forehead  of  snowy  whiteness,  "  be  quite  easy 
— I  intend  to  have  Mr.  Dangerly  myself." 

"  Eleanor !"  said  Miss  Hagerty. 

"  Nay,  do  not  lecture  me,  sister.  If  my  seniors  choose  to 
waive  their  birthrights,  I  shall  put  in  my  claim.  I  set  my 
cap  for  the  lieutenant — shall  I  not,  pa  ?"  cried  the  laughing 
girl.  And  there  the  conference  ended. 

Eleanor  was  quite  in  earnest.  She  was  a  girl  of  high 
spirit,  with  a  warm  heart,  and  a  quick  wit.  Dangerly's  chival- 
rous conduct  on  two  occasions,  in  both  of  which  her  family 
had  become  so  largely  his  debtor,  had  interested  her  greatly  in 
his  favour.  She  was  very  young,  and  her  feelings  were  easily 
excited.  Having  never  seen  Mr.  Dangerly,  her  curiosity  became 
strongly  awakened,  and  her  impatience  to  behold  one  whose 
name  was  now  frequently  mentioned  in  connection  with  his 
brilliant  exploits,  contributed  to  kindle  in  her  bosom  certain 
tender  sensations,  which  she  called  admiration,  but  to  which  the 
experienced  reader  will  be  able  to  affix  a  much  more  appropriate 
appellation.  Besides,  she  had  been  brought  up  in  Philadelphia, 
and  though  too  young  while  there. to  go  into  company,  her 
taste  was  formed,  and  certain  associations  impressed  upon  her 
mind.  These  were  by  no  means  favourable  to  His  Majesty's 
officers,  who  were  now  her  only  male  companions.  She  liked 
neither  their  red  coats  nor  their  red  faces.  Accustomed  to 
the  neatness,  order,  intellectuality,  and  strict  morals  of  a  re- 


430  LEGENDS   OF   THE    WEST. 

spectable  Philadelphia  circle,  she  found  little  to  please  her  in 
the  overbearing  manners,  the  coarse  wit,  and  dissipated  habits 
of  the  British  officers;  while  the  young  American  was  always 
spoken  of  as  one  whose  good  sense  and  virtue  equalled  his 
courage.  It  will  therefore  not  be  wondered  at,  that  the  fair 
Eleanor  should  have  formed  the  determination  expressed 
above,  nor  that  while  she  thus  spoke  in  jest,  she  should  in 
sober  earnest  have  resolved  to  "  set  her  cap  for  the  lieu- 
tenant." 

One  more  scene,  and  we  shall  have  ended.  Lieutenant 
Dangerly,  in  spite  of  his  bashfulness,  had  resolved  to  pay  a 
visit  to  the  fair  Alice.  Perhaps  he  never  would  have  plucked 
up  courage  for  such  an  enterprise,  had  not  his  comrades 
teased  him  until  he  became  desperate,  while  the  report  of  her 
engagement  to  Major  Gordon  awakened  his  jealousy.  "  If  it 
be  true,"  thought  he,  "that  her  heart  is  plighted  to  Gordon, 
I  shall  not  complain.  He  is  a  fine  fellow,  and  deserves  her. 
But  I  shall  feel  better  satisfied  when  I  know  from  her  own 
lips  that  there  is  no  hope  for  me." 

Behold  him  now  seated  in  the  barrack-master's  parlour, 
twirling  his  hat  in  his  hands  and  watching  the  door  with  a 
palpitating  heart.  At  length  a  light  step  is  heard,  and  the 
fairy  form  of  Eleanor  glided  in.  The  lieutenant  rose,  scraped 
his  best  bow,  dropped  his  hat,  picked  it  up,  and  was  about  to 
hand  a  chair,  when  he  perceived  that  the  young  lady  was 
already  seated.  He  glanced  wistfully  at  the  door  and  medi- 
tated a  retreat ;  "  If  I  could  only  avoid  a  close  action  by 
passing  defile  in  the  rear,"  thought  he— but  it  was  too  late. 

Eleanor  was  too  polite,  and  entertained  too  sincere  a  re- 
gard for  her  visitor,  to  notice  these  things.  She  led  the  way 
in  conversation — talked  of  the  recent  campaigns,  of  guns, 
horses,  and  parades,  with  the  fluency  of  one  well  versed  in 
such  subjects  ;  and  her  visitor,  forgetting  his  embarrassment, 
unconsciously  fell  into  an  animated  dialogue.  Dangerly's 
heart  was  now  irrevocably  gone.  If  the  young  lady's  beauty 


THE    BARRACK- MASTER'S    DAUGHTER.      431 

had  fascinated  his  senses,  her  wit,  her  spirit,  above  all,  her 
respectful  politeness,  and  the  evident  interest  with  which  she 
listened  to  him,  completed  the  conquest  of  his  affections.  An 
hour  rolled  away,  when,  unable  to  remain  longer  in  suspense, 
he  said, 

"May  I,  without  giving  offence,  ask  you  one  question?" 

"  Oh,  yes ;  1  love  to  answer  questions." 

'•  Are  you — is  Major  Gordon — pardon  me  for  seeming  so 
inquisitive — are  you  absolutely  engaged  to  Major  Gordon  ?" 

"I  am  not  engaged  to  Major  Gordon  !" 

"  Not  engaged  !     Do  you  say  that  positively  ?" 

"  I  never  was  more  in  earnest,"  replied  the  blushing  girl. 

"  Strange  !  Why,  the  whole  garrison  believed  you  to  be 
on  the  eve  of  marriage  with  Major  Gordon  !" 

"Major  Gordon  is  engaged  to^ny  sister,"  replied  Eleanor, 
quite  composedly. 

Dangerly  rose  and  paced  the  room  ;  his  heart  was  in  his 
throat,  and  his  limbs  trembled  with  emotion.  Eleanor 
walked  to  a  window,  and  began  to  feel  a  little  choked  too. 

"  One  more  question,"  said  he,  approaching  her. 

"  I  only  promised  to  answer  one." 

Dangerly  involuntarily  laid  his  hand  on  hers.  She  did 
not  withdraw  it.  Their  eyes  met,  and  a  language  which 
cannot  be  mistaken,  revealed  to  each  the  treasured  secret  of 
the  other's  heart. 

At  jhis  moment  Alice  entered  the  room  leaning  on  Major 
Gordon's  arm.  "  Mr.  Dangerly,"  said  the  latter,  "  I  have 
never  until  now  felt  authorized  to  thank  you  for  the  brave 
service  which  you  rendered  to  this  lady,  for  I  was  not  before 
at  liberty  to  mention  her  name  in  connection  with  my  own  ; 
but  the  happy  day  being  now  appointed,  I  am  privileged  to 
indulge  my  feelings  of  gratitude." 

'••That  lady  !  You  mistake  sir ;  this  is  the  lady  to  whom 
I  was  so  fortunate  as  to  render  a  slight  service." 

"It  is  you  that  mistake,"  replied  Alice. 


432  LEGENDS    OF    T  H  E  .  W  E  s  T  . 

Dangerly  gazed  at  the  two  sisters  alternately.  "  If  such 
is  the  fact/'  said  he,  "  Pythagoras  was  right  in  his  doctrine. 
To  that  lady  I  gave  a  heart  which  had  never  before  been 
touched  by  the  exquisite  sensation  of  love,  and  it  is  equally 
certain  that  it  has  transferred  itself  to  the  person  of  this  her 
lovely  sister.  I  am  very  sure  that  I  love  this  lady  •  there  is 
no  mistake  about  that." 

A  month  after  this  time  the  two  sisters  stood  together  before 
the  hymeneal  altar,  dressed  exactly  alike. 

"  Gordon,"  said  Dangerly,  "  be  good  enough  to  stand  a 
little  further  off,  for  fear  we  change  partners.  You  took  the 
first  pick,  but  I  love  my  Eleanor  too  well  to  have  the  slightest 
inclination  to  swap.  Be  pleased,  Mr.  Clergyman,  to  dress 
the  ranks  before  you  begin,  and  take  care  not  to  get  the 
parties  mixed." 


*t 


I*. 


** 


ISLE  OF  THE  YELLOW  SANDS. 


JT1HE  legends  of  the  northern  Indians  speak  of  an  island 
-*-  in  Lake  Superior,  which  is  called  the  "  Isle  of  the  Yel- 
low Sands,"  and  was  said  to  be  protected  by  spirits.  The 
sands  were  thought  to  be  of  gold ;  and  whenever  a  mortal 
approached  the  shore,  the  vultures,  and  other  animals  of 
prey,  as  they  seemed  to  human  eyes,  but  which,  in  fact, 
were  malignant  spirits  in  those  shapes,  raised  such  a  dreadful 
outcry,  as  to  terrify  the  traveller  who  wandered  unwarily  to 
those  shores.  It  is  said  that  no  one  who  persisted  in  landing 
on  the  fatal  beach  ever  escaped.  The  following  lines 
describe  the  fate  of  an  Indian  maid  who  voluntarily  sought 
the  island,  induced  either  by  that  curiosity  which  our  first 
mother  is  supposed  to  have  bequeathed  to  her  fair  de- 
scendants, or  by  that  love  of  the  "  Yellow  Sands"  which  is 
inherent  in  the  whole  race  of  Adam. 

She  has  gone  to  the  isle  of  the  golden  sands, 
In  the  prow  of  her  light  canoe  she  stands, 
And  the  south  wind  howls,  and  the  billows  roar, 
As  they  bear  the  maid  to  the  magic  shore. 


434  LEGENDS    OF   THE    WEST. 

But  her  spirit  is  high  and  her  heart  is  proud. 
She  dreads  not  the  wave  nor  the  lowering  cloud, 
For  her  soul  is  undaunted,  and  swift  is  her  way, 
*^      As  she  guides  her  canoe  through  the  foamjug  spray. 

She  has  left  a  brave  lover — ah !  feeble  and  cold 
Is  a  young  maid's  affection  when  tempted  by  gold  ! 
-She  has  left  the  lone  wigwam,  too  lowly  for  her 
"Who  could  follow  the  chase,  or  could  mingle  in  war. 

*  Ah  pause,  heedless  maid  !,  ere  to  pause  be  too  late, 
-  For  see,  all  around  thee,  the  omena  of  fate  ; 
And  the  shore  of  that  terrible  isle  is  nigh, 
Where  the  spirits  dwell,  and  the  death  birds  fly." 

A  voice  through  the  tempest  thus  kindly  essay'd 
To  arrest  the  wild  cotirse  of  the  Indian  maid, 
But  a  sunbeam  fell  bright  on  the  yellow  sand — 
And  she  urges  her  skiff  on  the  fatal  strand. 

"  Theu  onward !  speed  onward  !  thy  story  is  told, 
.    Thou  hast  bartend  thy  innocence,  maiden,  for  gold ! 
The  spirits  have  warn'd  thee,  the  elements  speak, 
Then  onward  !  fly  onward !  thy  destiny  seek !" 

In  vain  the  monition — "  On,  on !"  cries  the  maid, 
"  See  the  gold  how  it  glitters,  let  fools  be  afraid, 
Though  my  mother  may  -weep,  and  my  lover  may  swear, 
Be  mine  the  bright  treasure  that  dries  ev'ry  tear." 

She  has  reach'd  the  bright  isle  of  the  golden  sand, 
And  she  gazes  in  fear  o'er  that  lone  wild  land, 
For  the  clouds  are  low,  and  the  night  birds  shriek, 
And  her  frail  canoe  is  a  shapeless  wreck. 

"  Yet  turn  thee,  dear  maiden,  while  life  is  thine, 
Nor  gaze  at  the  gems  that  deceitfully  shine. 
For  before  thee  is  tempest,  and  death  and  the  tomb, 
And  behind  thee  is  peace,  and  affection  and  home." 

She  turn'd — 'twas  her  lover,  came  o'er  the  wave, 
Through  tempest,  through  danger,  that  dear  one  to  save, 
She  paus'd — and  the  bold  huutef  stood  by  her  side : 
••  I  claim  thee,  I  claim  thee,  Moiua,  my  bride  !" 


THE    ISLE   OF   THE*  YELLOW   S.ANDS..       435 

Ah  feeble  of  pufpose  !  what  woman  can  hear  V 
Unmov'd  the  fond  name  to  her  bosom  so  dear,  *^    * 

fc  Or  could  balance  the  wealth  of  a  golden  isle, 
With  a  bridal  kiss  aud  a  lover's  smile  if 

Her  dream  is  past  o'er,  and  her  fault  coufess'd, 
She  has  hidden  her  face  in  her  warrior's  breast, 
And  she  vows  if  each  sand  were  a  golden  isle, 
She  would  barter  them  all  for  that  one  lov'd  smile ! 


* 


*. 


rf*."'.Lw?'    '  * 

•*i*     S*'^ 


70S  I*     9 


, 
"*'**'     4 

•*#» 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  AT  LOS  ANGELES 

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This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  "below 


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